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©ave  porter  Series 


DAVE   PORTER  AND 
HIS   DOUBLE 

OR 

THE  DISAPPEAEANCE  OF  THE 
BASSWOOD   FORTUNE 

BY 

EDWARD   STRATEMEYER 

Author  of  "  Dave  Porter  at  Oak  Hall,"  "  The  Old  Glory  Series,' 

"  Colonial  Series,"  "  Pan-American  Series," 

"Soldiers  of  Fortune  Series,"  etc. 

ILLUSTRATED  BY   WALTER   S.   ROGERS 


BOSTON 
LOTHROP,   LEE  &   SHEPARD  CO. 


Published,  August,  1916 


Copyright,  1916, 
By  Lothrop,  Lee  &  Shepard  Co. 


All  rights  reserved 


DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 


'florwoo5  pregg 

BERWICK  &  SMITH  CO. 

NORWOOD,  MASS. 
U.  S.  A. 


SRLE 
.URL 


PREFACE 

"  Dave  Porter  and  His  Double  "  is  a  com- 
plete story  in  itself,  but  forms  the  twelfth  volume 
in  a  line  issued  under  the  general  title  of  "  Dave 
Porter  Series." 

This  series  was  begun  some  years  ago  by  the 
publication  of  "  Dave  Porter  at  Oak  Hall,"  in 
which  my  young  readers  were  introduced  to  a 
wide-awake  American  lad  at  a  typical  American 
boarding-school. 

The  publication  of  this  volume  was  followed 
by  "  Dave  Porter  in  the  South  Seas,"  to  which 
portion  of  our  globe  the  lad  journeyed  to  clear 
up  a  question  concerning  his  parentage.  Next 
came  "  Dave  Porter's  Return  to  School,"  telling 
of  additional  happenings  at  Oak  Hall;  "Dave 
Porter  in  the  Far  North,"  where  he  went  on  a 
second  journey  looking  for  his  father;  "  Dave  Por- 
ter and  His  Classmates,"  in  which  our  young  hero 
showed  what  he  could  do  under  most  trying  cir- 
cumstances; "Dave  Porter  at  Star  Ranch,"  in 
which  he  took  part  in  many  strenuous  adventures 
in  the  Wild  West;  "Dave  Porter  and  His 
Rivals,"  in  which  the  youth  outwitted  some  of  his 


PREFACE 

old-time  enemies ;  "  Dave  Porter  on  Cave  Island," 
giving  the  details  of  a  remarkable  sea  voyage  and 
strange  doings  ashore;  "Dave  Porter  and  the 
Runaways,"  in  which  the  boy  taught  some  of  his 
school  chums  a  much-needed  lesson;  "  Dave  Por- 
ter in  the  Gold  Fields,"  whither  he  went  in  search 
of  a  lost  mine;  and  finally  "  Dave  Porter  at  Bear 
Camp,"  which  was  located  in  the  Adirondack 
Mountains,  and  where  we  last  left  him. 

In  the  present  volume  we  find  our  hero  in  a 
new  field  of  activity.  Having  graduated  from 
school,  he  has  taken  up  the  study  of  civil  engineer- 
ing, and  while  engaged  in  that  calling  in  Texas  he 
becomes  mixed  up  in  most  unusual  happenings, 
the  particulars  of  which  are  given  in  the  pages 
that  follow. 

Once  more  I  wish  to  thank  my  young  readers, 
and  many  of  their  parents,  for  all  the  kind  things 
they  have  said  regarding  my  stories.  I  trust  that 
the  reading  of  the  present  book  will  not  only 
please  but  also  profit  the  young  folks. 

Edward  Stratemeyer. 
March  j,  igi6. 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I    Off  for  a  Sleigh-ride i 

II  Something  of  the  Past    .     .     .     .     13 

III  The  Team  that  Ran  Away  ...     22 

IV  Ward  Porton  Again 32 

V  What  Asa  Dickley  Had  to  Say  .     .     42 

VI    More  Trouble  . 53 

VII    Face  to  Face 63 

VIII  The  Basswood  Fortune   ....     72 

IX  Something  About  Miniatures    .     .     82 

X  The  Big  Sleighing-Party      ...     93 

XI    IFIeld  by  the  Blizzard 104 

XII    Tim  Crapsey's  Plot 114 

XIII  What  Washington   Bones  had  to 

Tell 124 

XIV  Movements  of  the  Enemy     .     .     .133 
XV  The  Return  to  Crumville    .     .     .143 

XVI  How  the  Miniatures  Disappeared  .   153 

XVII    A  Vain  Search 163 

XVIII  The  Civil  Engineering  Examination  173 

XIX    Off  for  Texas 181 

XX    In  New  York  City 191 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XXI    Dave  in  Washington  .     .     .     .  .  201 

XXII    In  Texas  at  Last   .     .     .     .     .,  .  211 

XXIII  At  the  Engineering  Camp    ..    ,.:  .  221 

XXIV  A  Midnight  Alarm      .     .     .:    >.,  .  230 
XXV    The  Mexican  Raiders      ....  239 

XXVI    The  Chase  on  the  Bridge    ..    >  .  249 

XXVII    Across  the  Rio  Grande    .     .     -.,  .  259 

XXVIII    A  Strange  Discovery   .     .     ..     ,.  .  269 

XXIX    The  Capture .  278 

XXX    The     Fortune     Recovered  —  Con- 
clusion   .  288 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

The  team  left  the  roadway,  and  the  next  in- 
stant HAD  CRASHED  THROUGH  A  FRAIL  RAIL- 
WAY FENCE  (Pfl^^  2^)  Frontispiece 

FACING 
PAGE 

He  seized  Porton's  upraised  arm  and  backed 
the  fellow  against  a  tree 70 

From  under  the  snow  and  the  robes  crawled 

THE    boys    and    the    GIRLS 102 

Slowly  the  train  puffed  in,  and  proved  to  be 

A  freight 136 

The  young  people  played  games,  sang,  and 
danced  to  their  hearts*  content  .     .     .   i70 

The  next  instant  he  was  dashing  into  the 

STREET 202 

"  Here  we  are  at  the  camp  !  "  announced  the 
guide 226 

"  Hold  tight,  Roger!  I'll  help  you,"  returned 
Dave,  quickly 256 


DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS 
DOUBLE 

CHAPTER  I 

OFF   FOR  A    SLEIGH-RIDE 

"  What  Is  the  matter,  Dave  ?  You  look 
rather  mystified." 

"  I  am  mystified,  Laura,"  replied  Dave  Porter. 
"  I  have  a  letter  here  that  I  can't  understand  at 
all." 

**  Whom  is  it  from?  "  questioned  Laura  Porter, 
as  she  came  closer  to  her  brother,  who  was  en- 
sconced in  the  largest  easy-chair  the  Wadsworth 
library  contained. 

"  It's  from  a  shopkeeper  In  Coburntown,  Mr. 
Weeks,  the  shoe-dealer.  He  wants  to  know  which 
pair  of  shoes  I  have  decided  to  keep,  and  asks  me 
kindly  to  return  the  pair  I  don't  want." 

"Well,  what  of  that,  Dave?"  continued  his 
sister,  as  the  youth  paused  with  a  wrinkle  on  his 
forehead.  "  Can't  you  make  up  your  mind  which 
pair  of  shoes  you  want  to  keep?  " 


2    DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

"  I  certainly  can  not,  seeing  that  I  haven't  had 
any  shoes  from  Wecks's  store,"  returned  Dave, 
with  a  faint  smile.  "  I  haven't  been  in  his  place 
for  nearly  a  year,  and  the  last  time  I  was  there  I 
bought  a  pair  of  rubbers  and  paid  for  them." 

"  Oh,  then  the  letter  must  be  meant  for  some- 
body else,  Dave.  Mr.  Weeks  has  got  his  custom- 
ers mixed." 

"  Perhaps  so.  But  in  the  letter  he  speaks  of 
the  two  pairs  of  shoes  I  took  away  with  me.  That 
looks  as  if  somebody  had  gotten  two  pairs  of  shoes 
in  my  name." 

"  Well,  as  we  are  going  out  sleighing  this  aft- 
ernoon, why  don't  you  drive  to  Coburntown  and 
drop  into  his  shop  and  explain  matters?"  sug- 
gested the  sister. 

"  I  guess  that  would  be  best,  Laura."  Dave 
folded  up  the  letter  and  placed  it  in  his  pocket. 
"  How  soon  will  you  be  ready?  " 

"  Inside  of  quarter  of  an  hour." 

"  And  how  about  Jessie?  " 

*'  She  was  almost  ready  when  I  came  down- 
stairs." 

"  Good !  Then  we  can  get  an  early  start  and 
have  a  good  long  ride  besides  stopping  at 
Coburntown,  where  I  suppose  you  and  Jessie  can 
do  a  little  shopping  while  I  am  at  Wecks's  store." 

"  That  will  be  fine,  Dave  I  I  would  like  to 
match  some  ribbon,  and  the  only  place  I  can  do  it 


OFF  FOR  A  SLEIGH-RIDE  3 

is  in  the  French  Shop  in  Coburntown ; "  and  thus 
speaking  Laura  Porter  hurried  out  of  the  room  to 
get  ready  for  the  sleigh-ride. 

Dave  had  proposed  the  ride  just  before  lunch, 
and  the  young  people  living  at  the  Wadsworth 
mansion  had  telephoned  over  to  the  Basswood 
home,  asking  if  Ben  Basswood  would  accompany 
them. 

"  Sure  I'll  go  —  be  glad  to  I  "  Dave's  former 
school  chum  had  answered  over  the  wire.  "  I 
haven't  a  thing  to  do  this  afternoon,  and  a  first 
sleigh-ride  of  the  season  will  tickle  me  to  death." 

"  Oh,  I  don't  want  it  to  kill  you,  Ben,"  Dave 
had  answered  gaily.  "  Just  the  same,  you  be 
ready  for  us  when  we  come  over;"  and  to  this 
Ben  had  agreed. 

Although  it  was  still  early  in  the  winter,  there 
had  been  a  heavy  fall  of  snow  two  days  before 
and  now  the  roads  in  and  around  Crumville  were 
in  excellent  condition  for  sleighing.  The  musical 
sound  of  sleigh-bells  could  be  heard  in  all  direc- 
tions, and  this  had  made  Dave  anxious  to  get  out 
on  the  road,  even  though  he  had  to  spend  most  of 
his  time  indoors  studying,  as  we  shall  learn  later. 

Dave  had  already  given  orders  to  the  hostler 
connected  with  the  Wadsworth  estate,  and  now 
this  man  brought  to  the  front  of  the  mansion  a 
fine,  big  sleigh  drawn  by  a  pair  of  sleek-looking, 
high-stepping  steeds.     The  sleigh  was  well  pro- 


4    DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

vided  with  heavy  robes  to  protect  its  occupants 
from  the  cold. 

"Oh,  Dave,  I'm  so  glad  to  go  sleighing  1" 
burst  out  Jessie  Wadsworth,  as  she  came  bound- 
ing down  the  broad  stairway  of  the  mansion  to 
meet  him.     "  Isn't  it  just  glorious  weather?  " 

"  It  sure  is,"  he  answered,  as  he  gave  her  a 
warm  glance.  To  Dave,  Jessie  was  the  most 
beautiful  girl  in  the  world,  and  just  now,  clad 
as  she  was  in  her  dainty  sealskin  coat  and  her 
jaunty  sealskin  hat,  she  looked  more  bewitching 
to  him  than  ever. 

"Going  for  a  ride,  eh?"  came  from  Dave's 
uncle,  Dunston  Porter,  who  had  just  finished  a 
belated  lunch.  "  Well,  have  a  good  time,  and 
don't  let  that  pair  of  grays  run  away  with  you. 
John  was  telling  me  they  are  feeling  quite  mettle- 
some lately.  I  guess  they  don't  get  exercise 
enough." 

"  Oh,  don't  worry.  Uncle  Dunston.  I'm  sure  I 
can  manage  them,"  answered  Dave. 

"  Sure  you  can  I  "  returned  his  uncle,  heartily. 
"  Too  bad  you  couldn't  have  asked  an  old  fellow 
like  me  to  go  along,"  he  continued,  making  a  wry 
face. 

"  Why,  you  can  come  along  if  you  want  to. 
Can't  he,  Dave?"  burst  out  Jessie.  "We'd  be 
very  glad  to  have  you." 

"  He's  only  fooling,  Jessie,'*  answered  Dave. 


OFF  FOR  A  SLEIGH-RIDE  5 

"  You  couldn't  hire  Uncle  Dunston  to  go  sleigh- 
ing to-day.  I  saw  him  cleaning  up  his  shotgun 
right  after  breakfast.  And  I'll  wager  he  has  just 
come  in  from  hunting  and  expects  to  go  out  again 
this  afternoon.  How  about  it,  Uncle  —  am  I 
right?" 

"  You've  got  me,  Davy,"  answered  the  man, 
with  a  grin.  "  You  see,  I  can't  get  over  my  old 
habit  of  going  hunting  when  I  get  the  chance. 
And  now  that  this  snow  is  on  the  ground,  it's 
just  fine  for  tracking  rabbits." 

"  Did  you  get  any  this  morning?  " 

"  A  few.  I  didn't  go  very  far.  This  after- 
noon I  am  going  deeper  into  the  woods,  and  I 
guarantee  to  bring  back  enough  to  make  the  big- 
gest rabbit  pot-pie  to-morrow  you  ever  saw;" 
and,  thus  speaking,  the  uncle  hastened  away. 

He  had  spent  many  years  of  his  life  roaming 
the  world  in  quest  of  game  both  big  and  little, 
and  now,  though  of  late  years  he  had  done  his 
best  to  settle  down,  it  was  still  impossible  for  him 
to  give  up  his  hunting  habit  entirely. 

Laura  soon  appeared  ready  for  the  ride. 
Dave  had  already  donned  his  heavy  overcoat,  fur 
cap,  and  his  driving-gloves.  He  assisted  the 
girls  into  the  sleigh  and  saw  to  It  that  they  were 
well  tucked  in  with  robes. 

"  Have  a  good  time  and  don't  stay  out  too 
late,"  were  the  farewell  words  of  Mrs.  Wads- 


6    DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

worth,  who  had  come  to  the  door  to  see  them 
off. 

"  Well,  you  know  we  don't  expect  to  be  back  to 
dinner  this  evening,"  answered  Dave.  "  We  can 
get  something  to  eat  at  Coburntown,  or  some 
other  place,  and  then  drive  back  in  the  moon- 
light." 

"  Very  well,  but  don't  make  it  too  late,"  an- 
swered the  lady  of  the  mansion.  And  then  Dave 
took  up  the  reins,  chirped  to  the  team,  and  away 
the  sleigh  started  out  of  the  Wadsworth  grounds 
and  down  the  highway  leading  to  the  Basswood 
home. 

Ben  was  on  the  lookout  for  them,  and  by  the 
time  Dave  had  drawn  up  beside  the  horse-block 
he  was  outside  to  meet  them. 

"  Good  afternoon,  everybody,"  he  said  gaily, 
lifting  his  cap.  "  This  is  just  fine  of  you  to  take 
me  along." 

"  Let  Ben  come  in  back  here  with  me,"  said 
Laura,  '*  and  that  will  give  Jessie  a  chance  to  sit 
in  front.  I  know  she  always  likes  to  be  up 
ahead,"  and  Laura  smiled  knowingly. 

"Suits  me,"  answered  Ben,  quickly;  and  then 
assisted  Jessie  to  make  the  change,  which,  how- 
ever, the  miss  did  not  undertake  without  blushing, 
for  it  may  as  well  be  admitted  here  Jessie  thought 
as  much  of  Dave  as  he  did  of  her. 

"  Oh,  Dave,  do  you  think  the  grays  will  behave 


OFF  FOR  A  SLEIGH-RIDE  7 

themselves  to-day?  "  asked  the  girl,  partly  to  con- 
ceal her  embarrassment. 

"  I'm  going  to  make  them  behave,"  he  an- 
swered, sturdily. 

"  I  don't  believe  they  have  been  out  of  the 
stable  for  several  days.  You  know  we  don't  use 
the  horses  nearly  as  much  as  we  used  to,  before 
we  got  the  automobile." 

*'  I'll  watch  them."  Dave  looked  behind  him. 
**  All  right  back  there  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  answered  his  sister.  "  But  please 
don't  drive  too  fast." 

"  I  don't  believe  sleighing  will  seem  too  fast 
after  the  riding  we  have  been  doing  in  the  auto," 
answered  the  brother.  He  took  up  the  reins 
again,  and  once  more  the  turnout  sped  along  the 
highway. 

They  made  a  turn,  passed  along  the  main  street 
of  Crumville,  and  also  passed  the  large  Wads- 
worth  jewelry  works,  and  then  took  to  a  road  lead- 
ing to  Coburntown,  some  miles  distant.  The  air 
was  cold  but  clear,  with  the  bright  sunshine  spar- 
kling on  the  snow,  and  all  of  the  young  people  were 
in  the  best  of  humor. 

"  Say,  Dave,  how  would  you  like  to  be  back  at 
Oak  Hall?"  cried  Ben,  while  the  sleigh  sped 
along.  "  Wouldn't  we  have  the  dandy  time  snow- 
balling each  other,  and  snowballing  old  Horse- 
hair?" 


8    DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

"  So  we  would,  Ben,"  answered  Dave,  his  eyes 
gleaming.  "  We  sure  did  have  some  good  times 
at  that  school." 

*'  How  are  you  and  Roger  getting  along  with 
your  civil  engineering  course?  " 

"All  right,  I  think.  Mr.  Ramsdell  says  he  is 
greatly  pleased  with  our  work." 

"  That's  fine.  I  almost  wish  I  had  taken  up 
civil  engineering  myself.  But  dad  wants  me  to 
go  into  real  estate  with  him.  He  thinks  there  is 
a  big  chance  in  that  line  these  days,  when  Crum- 
ville  is  just  beginning  to  wake  up." 

"  Hasn't  your  dad  got  a  big  rival  in  Aaron 
Poole?" 

"  Oh,  no  I  Poole  isn't  in  it  any  more  when  it 
comes  to  big  deals.  You  see,  he  was  so  close  and 
miserly  in  all  his  business  affairs  that  a  great  many 
people  became  afraid  of  him." 

"  What  has  become  of  Nat  Poole?  "  questioned 
Laura.     "  Did  he  go  back  to  Oak  Hall?  '* 

"  For  a  short  while  only.  When  his  folks  found 
out  that  he  had  failed  to  graduate  they  were 
awfully  angry.  Mr.  Poole  claimed  that  it  was  the 
fault  of  the  school  and  so  he  took  Nat  away  and 
told  him  he  would  have  to  go  to  work.  I  think 
Nat  is  working  in  some  store,  although  where,  I 
don't  know." 

"  I  don't  think  it's  in  Crumville  or  we  should 
have  seen  him,"  said  Dave. 


OFF  FOR  A  SLEIGH-RIDE  9 

"  I  never  want  to  meet  that  boy  again,"  pouted 
Jessie.  "  I'll  never  get  over  how  meanly  he 
acted  toward  us." 

"  It's  not  so  much  Nat's  fault  as  it  is  his  bring- 
ing up,"  remarked  Ben.  "  His  father  never 
treated  him  half  decently.  But  I  hope  Nat  makes 
a  man  of  himself  in  spite  of  the  way  he  used  to 
treat  us,"  went  on  the  youth  generously. 

"  By  the  way,  Ben,  didn't  you  say  your  father 
had  gone  away?"  queried  Dave,  a  few  minutes 
later. 

"  Yes,  he  has  gone  to  Chicago  on  very  impor- 
tant business.  It  seems  an  old  friend  of  his  — 
a  Mr.  Enos,  who  was  once  his  partner  in  an  art 
store  —  died,  and  now  the  lawyers  want  to  see  my 
father  about  settling  up  the  Enos  estate." 

"An  art  store?"  queried  Dave.  "I  never 
knew  that  your  father  had  been  in  any  such  busi- 
ness." 

"  It  was  years  ago  —  before  my  folks  came  to 
Crumville.  You  see,  my  father  and  this  Mr. 
Enos  had  been  chums  from  early  boyhood.  My 
father  says  that  Mr.  Enos  was  a  very  peculiar  sort 
of  man,  who  was  all  wrapped  up  in  pictures  and 
painting.  He  got  my  father  to  advance  a  thou- 
sand dollars  he  had  saved  up,  and  on  that  money 
the  two  opened  an  art  store.  But  they  couldn't 
make  a  go  of  it,  and  so  they  gave  it  up,  and  while 
Mr.  Enos  went  West  my  father  came  here." 


10   DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

"  Maybe  the  dead  man  left  your  father  some 
money,"  suggested  Laura. 

"  That  is  what  my  mother  said  to  dad.  But 
he  thinks  not.  He  thinks  it  is  more  than  likely 
Mr.  Enos  died  in  debt  and  left  his  affairs  all  tan- 
gled up,  and  that  the  lawyers  want  my  father  to 
help  straighten  them  out." 

"  I'd  like  to  be  able  to  paint,"  said  Jessie,  with 
a  sigh.  "  I  think  some  of  those  little  water-colors 
are  just  too  lovely  for  anything." 

"Why  don't  you  take  it  up?  There  must  be 
some  teacher  in  Crumville,"  returned  Dave. 

"  Let's  both  do  it  1  "  cried  Laura.  "  I  used  to 
paint  a  little  before  father  and  I  did  so  much 
traveling.  I  would  like  to  take  it  up  again.  It 
would  be  very  interesting." 

While  the  young  folks  were  talking,  the  pair 
of  mettlesome  grays  had  been  speeding  over  the 
snow  of  the  road  at  a  good  rate  of  speed.  Dave, 
however,  had  them  well  in  hand,  so  that  there  was 
little  danger  of  their  running  away. 

"  We'll  be  to  Benson  Crossroads  soon,  Dave," 
remarked  Ben  a  while  later,  after  they  had  passed 
over  a  long  hill  lined  on  either  side  with  tidy  farms. 
"  Which  road  are  you  going  to  take  —  through 
Hacklebury  or  around  Conover's  Hill?  " 

"  I  haven't  made  up  my  mind,"  answered  Dave. 
He  looked  at  Jessie.  "  Have  you  any  prefer- 
ence?" 


OFF  FOR  A  SLEIGH-RIDE  n 

"  Oh,  let  us  go  up  around  Conover's  Hill !  " 
cried  Jessie.  "  That  is  always  such  a  splendid 
ride.     There  is  so  much  of  an  outlook." 

"  Yes,  let  us  go  by  way  of  the  hill  by  all  means," 
added  Laura.  *'  It  isn't  very  nice  through 
Hacklebury,  past  all  those  woolen  mills." 

"  All  right,  the  Conover  road  it  is,"  answered 
Dave;  and  forward  they  went  once  more  as  fast 
as  ever. 

They  soon  passed  the  Crossroads,  and  then 
took  the  long,  winding  road  that  led  around  one 
side  of  the  hill  just  mentioned.  Here  travel  since 
the  snow  had  fallen  had  evidently  been  heavy,  for 
the  roadway  was  packed  down  until  it  was  almost 
as  smooth  as  glass.  Over  this  surface  the  spirited 
grays  dashed  at  an  increased  rate  of  speed. 

"  Some  team,  believe  me !  "  was  Ben's  com- 
ment. "  Mr.  Wadsworth  ought  to  put  them  on  a 
race-course." 

"  Papa  does  not  believe  in  racing,'*  answered 
Jessie.  "  But  he  always  did  like  to  have  a  horse 
that  had  some  go  in  him." 

"  Hark  1 "  cried  Laura,  a  moment  later. 
"What  is  that  sound?" 

"  It's  an  auto  coming,"  announced  Ben,  look- 
ing behind  them.  "  A  big  touring-car,  and  who- 
ever is  in  it  seems  to  be  in  a  tremendous  hurry." 

"  I  wish  they  wouldn't  cut  out  their  muffler," 
was  Dave's  comment,  as  he  saw  the  grays  pick 


12   DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

up  their  ears.  "  They  have  no  right  to  run  with 
the  muffler  open." 

As  the  touring-car  came  closer  those  in  the 
sleigh  who  were  able  to  look  back  saw  that  it  was 
running  at  a  great  rate  of  speed  and  swaying  from 
side  to  side  of  the  roadway.  It  contained  four 
young  men,  out,  evidently,  for  a  gloriously  good 
time.  Dave  did  not  dare  look  back  to  see  what 
was  coming.  The  grays  had  their  ears  laid  well 
back  and  their  whole  manner  showed  that  they 
were  growing  more  nervous  every  instant. 

"  Hi  I  Stop  that  noise!  "  yelled  Ben,  jumping 
up  and  shaking  his  hand  at  the  oncoming  auto- 
mobile. But  those  in  the  car  paid  no  attention  to 
him.  The  fellow  at  the  wheel  put  on  a  fresh 
burst  of  speed,  and  with  a  wild  rush  and  a  roar 
the  touring-car  shot  past  the  sleigh  and  the  fright- 
ened horses,  and  in  a  few  seconds  more  disap- 
peared around  a  turn  of  the  road. 

As  might  have  been  expected,  the  coming  and 
going  of  the  big  machine,  with  its  unearthly 
roar,  was  too  much  for  the  mettlesome  grays. 
Both  reared  up  wildly  on  their  hind  legs,  backing 
the  sleigh  off  to  one  side  of  the  roadway. 

*'  Whoa  there  I  Whoa  I  "  cried  Dave,  and  did 
his  best  to  keep  the  team  in  hand.  But  they 
proved  too  much  for  him,  and  in  an  instant  more 
they  came  down  on  all  fours  and  started  to  run 
away. 


CHAPTER  II 

SOMETHING   OF  THE   PAST 

"  The  horses  are  running  away  I  " 

"Oh,  we'll  be  killed!" 

Such  were  the  cries  from  the  two  girls  as  the 
mettlesome  grays  tore  along  the  country  high- 
way at  a  speed  that  seemed  marvelous. 

"Dave,  can  I  help  you?"  asked  Ben,  anx- 
iously. 

"  I  don't  think  so,"  answered  the  young  driver 
between  his  set  teeth.  "  I  guess  I  can  bring  them 
down.     Anyway,  I  can  try." 

"  What  shall  we  do?  "  wailed  Jessie. 

"  Don't  do  anything  —  sit  still,"  ordered  Dave. 
He  was  afraid  that  Jessie  in  her  excitement  might 
fling  herself  from  the  flying  sleigh. 

On  and  on  bounded  the  frightened  team.  Each 
of  the  grays  now  had  his  bit  in  his  teeth,  and  it 
looked  as  if  it  would  be  impossible  for  Dave  to 
obtain  control  of  the  pair.  And,  worst  of  all, 
they  were  now  approaching  a  turn,  with  the  hill  on 
one  side  of  the  roadway  and  a  gully  on  the  other. 

"  Better  keep  them  as  far  as  possible  away  from 
the  gully,"  suggested  Ben. 

13 


14       DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

"  That  is  what  I'm  trying  to  do,"  returned 
Dave,  setting  his  teeth  grimly. 

Dave  Porter  was  a  resolute  youth,  always  do- 
ing his  best  to  accomplish  whatever  he  set  out  to 
do.  Had  it  been  otherwise,  it  is  not  likely  that 
he  would  have  occupied  the  position  in  which  we 
found  him  at  the  opening  of  our  story. 

When  a  very  small  youth  Dave  had  been  found 
wandering  along  the  railroad  tracks  near  Crum- 
ville.  He  could  tell  little  about  himself  or  how 
he  had  come  in  that  position;  and  kind  people 
had  taken  him  in  and  later  on  had  placed  him  in 
the  local  poorhouse.  From  that  institution  he 
had  been  taken  by  an  old  college  professor,  named 
Caspar  Potts,  who  at  that  time  had  been  farming 
for  his  health. 

In  Crumville,  the  main  industry  was  the  Wads- 
worth  jewelry  works,  owned  by  Mr.  Oliver  Wads- 
worth,  who  resided,  with  his  wife  and  his  daugh- 
ter Jessie,  in  the  finest  mansion  of  that  district. 
One  day  the  Wadsworth  automobile  caught  fire, 
and  Jessie  was  in  danger  of  being  burned  to  death, 
when  Dave  came  to  her  rescue.  This  led  Mr. 
Wadsworth  to  ask  about  the  boy  and  about  Mr. 
Potts.  And  when  It  was  learned  that  the  latter 
was  one  of  the  jewelry  manufacturer's  former 
college  professors,  Mr.  Wadsworth  Insisted  upon 
It  that  Caspar  Potts  come  and  live  with  him,  and 
bring  Dave  along. 


SOMETHING  OF  THE  PAST  15 

"  That  boy  deserves  a  good  education,"  had 
been  Oliver  Wadsworth's  comment,  after  several 
interviews  with  Dave,  and  as  a  consequence  the 
youth  had  been  sent  off  to  a  first-class  boarding- 
school,  as  related  in  the  first  volume  of  this  series, 
entitled  "  Dave  Porter  at  Oak  Hall." 

At  the  school  Dave  had  made  a  host  of  friends, 
including  Roger  Morr,  the  son  of  a  United  States 
senator,  and  Phil  Lawrence,  the  son  of  a  rich 
shipowner. 

Ben  Basswood,  the  son  of  a  Crumville  real 
estate  dealer  and  a  lad  who  had  been  friendly 
with  Dave  for  several  years,  also  went  to  Oak 
Hall,  and  thus  he  and  Dave  became  closer  chums 
than  ever. 

The  great  thing  that  troubled  Dave  in  those 
days  was  the  question  of  his  parentage.  Some  of 
the  mean  boys  in  the  school  occasionally  referred 
to  him  as  "  that  poorhouse  nobody,"  and  this 
brought  on  several  severe  quarrels  and  even  a 
fist  fight  or  two. 

"  I'm  not  going  to  be  a  nobody,"  said  the  youth 
to  himself;  and  when  he  received  certain  informa- 
tion from  an  old  sailor  he  eagerly  went  on  a  quest 
after  his  father,  as  told  of  in  "  Dave  Porter  in 
the  South  Seas."  There  he  managed  to  locate 
his  uncle,  Dunston  Porter,  and  learned  much  con- 
cerning his  father,  David  Breslow  Porter,  and 
also  his  sister  Laura. 


i6   DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

Coming  back  from  the  South  Seas,  Dave  re- 
turned to  school,  and  then  took  a  trip  to  the  Far 
North,  whither  his  father  had  gone  before  him. 
There  he  had  many  adventures,  as  already  related 
in  another  volume. 

Glad  to  know  that  he  had  found,  not  only  so 
many  kind  friends,  but  also  several  rich  relatives, 
Dave  went  back  again  to  Oak  Hall.  His  class- 
mates were  more  than  glad  to  see  him,  but  others 
were  jealous  of  his  success  in  life,  and  several  of 
his  enemies,  including  a  certain  Link  Merwell, 
did  all  they  could  to  annoy  him.  The  annoy- 
ances went  from  bad  to  worse,  and  in  the  end  one 
boy  named  Jasniff  ran  away  from  school,  and  the 
other,  Merwell,  was  expelled. 

Dave's  sister  Laura  had  a  friend,  Belle  Endi- 
cott,  who  lived  in  the  Far  West,  and  through  this 
young  lady  Dave  and  his  chums  and  also  Laura 
and  Jessie  received  an  invitation  to  spend  some 
time  at  the  Endicott  place,  known  as  Star  Ranch. 
While  in  the  West  Dave  once  more  fell  in  with 
Link  Merwell,  and  this  young  man,  as  before, 
tried  to  make  trouble,  but  was  exposed. 

"  I  hope  I  have  seen  the  last  of  Merwell,"  said 
Dave  to  himself,  on  returning  once  again  to  Oak 
Hall.  But  this  was  not  to  be,  for  Merwell  be- 
came a  student  at  a  rival  academy,  and  once  more 
he  and  some  others  did  all  they  could  to  make 
life  miserable  for  our  hero. 


SOMETHING  OF  THE  PAST  17 

When  the  Christmas  holidays  came  around 
Dave  went  back  to  Crumville,  where  he  and  his 
folks  resided  with  the  Wadsworths,  who  had 
taken  such  a  liking  to  the  youth  that  they  did  not 
wish  to  have  him  live  elsewhere.  Directly  after 
Christmas  came  a  thrilling  robbery  of  the  jewelry 
works,  and  Dave  and  his  chums  discovered  that 
the  crime  had  been  committed  by  Merwell  and  his 
crony,  Jasniff.  After  a  long  sea  voyage  to  Cave 
Island,  one  of  the  evil-doers  was  captured,  but 
the  other,  Link  Merwell,  managed  to  make  his 
escape. 

During  Dave's  next  term  at  school  there  was 
much  trouble  with  one  of  the  teachers,  who  was 
harsh  and  unsympathetic,  and  as  a  result  some  of 
the  boys  ran  away.  It  was  Dave  who  went  after 
them  and  who,  in  spite  of  a  fearful  flood,  man- 
aged to  bring  them  back  and  make  them  face  the 
music.  Then  came  the  graduation  exercises  at 
Oak  Hall,  Dave  receiving  high  honors. 

Our  hero  had  promised  Roger  Morr  that  he 
would  pay  the  senator's  son  a  visit.  During  this 
time  Dave  heard  of  a  gold  mine  belonging  to 
Mrs.  Morr  which  had  been  lost  because  of  a  land- 
slide. All  the  boys  went  out  West  in  an  endeavor 
to  relocate  this  claim.  Their  adventures  were 
both  numerous  and  hazardous,  and  once  more 
Dave  fell  in  with  Link  Merwell.  But  all  went 
well  with  our  young  friends,  and  they  had  a  glori- 


i8   DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

ous  time  visiting  Yellowstone  Park  and  other 
points  of  interest. 

"  Now  you  fellows  have  got  to  come  on  a  little 
trip  with  me,"  Phil  Lawrence  had  said  after  he, 
Dave  and  Roger,  with  the  others,  had  returned 
again  to  the  East.  There  was  a  small  steamer  be- 
longing to  Mr.  Lawrence  that  was  tied  up  at 
Philadelphia  getting  ready  for  a  trip  to  Portland, 
Maine.  The  voyage  up  the  Atlantic  coast  had 
been  productive  of  several  unlooked-for  results. 
On  the  way  those  on  the  boat  had  discovered  an- 
other vessel  in  flames.  This  was  a  craft  being 
used  by  a  company  of  moving-picture  actors,  and 
some  of  the  latter  in  their  panic  had  leaped  over- 
board. Our  young  friends,  as  well  as  some  of 
the  sailors  on  their  ship,  had  gone  to  the  rescue; 
and  among  others  had  picked  up  a  young  man, 
Ward  Porton  by  name.  Much  to  the  surprise  of 
Roger  Morr  and  Phil  Lawrence,  Ward  Porton 
had  looked  a  good  deal  like  Dave.  Not  only  that, 
but  many  of  his  manners,  outwardly,  were  similar 
to  those  of  our  hero. 

Following  the  trip  up  the  coast,  it  had  been  de- 
cided by  the  Wadsworths  and  the  Basswoods  to 
spend  part  of  the  summer  in  the  Adirondacks,  at 
a  spot  known  as  Mirror  Lake.  Thither  all  of  the 
young  people  and  some  of  the  older  ones  went  to 
enjoy  themselves  greatly  and  to  meet  with  a  num- 
ber of  strange  happenings,  all  of  which  have  been 


SOMETHING  OF  THE  PAST  19 

related  in  detail  in  the  volume  preceding  this,  en- 
titled "  Dave  Porter  at  Bear  Camp." 

The  boys  fell  in  with  a  wild  sort  of  creature 
whom  they  at  first  supposed  to  be  a  crazy  uncle  of 
Nat  Poole,  the  son  of  a  miserly  money  lender  of 
Crumville.  Later,  however,  the  man  was  found 
to  be  a  missing  uncle  of  Phil  Lawrence,  for  whom 
the  Lawrence  family  had  been  seeking  for  a  long 
time. 

Although  Dave  Porter  did  not  know  it  at  the 
time,  the  moving-picture  company  to  which  Ward 
Porton  belonged  had  also  numbered  among  its 
members  Dave's  former  school  enemy.  Link  Mer- 
well.  From  Link,  Ward  Porton,  who  was  the 
good-for-nothing  nephew  of  a  Burlington  lum- 
ber dealer,  had  learned  the  particulars  concerning 
Dave's  childhood  and  how  he  had  been  placed  in 
the  Crumville  poorhouse  and  listed  as  of  unknown 
parentage. 

This  had  caused  Porton  to  concoct  a  clever 
scheme,  and  to  Mr.  Porter  he  announced  himself 
as  the  real  Dave  Porter,  stating  that  our  hero  was 
really  and  truly  the  nobody  that  years  before 
everybody  had  thought  him. 

This  announcement  had  come  like  a  thunder- 
bolt to  poor  Dave,  and  for  the  time  being  he  knew 
not  what  to  do  or  say.  The  others,  too,  especially 
his  sister  Laura  and  his  dear  friend,  Jessie,  were 
almost  equally  affected.     But  they  clung  to  him, 


20   DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

refusing  to  believe  the  story  that  Ward  Porton 
was  circulating. 

"  You  take  it  from  me  —  this  is  some  scheme 
gotten  up  by  Link  Merwell  and  this  other  fel- 
low," declared  one  of  Dave's  chums.  And  on 
the  strength  of  this  declaration  the  youth  took  it 
upon  himself  to  do  some  clever  investigating. 
From  one  of  the  moving-picture  actresses  Dave 
learned  much  concerning  Ward  Porton's  past,  and 
then,  in  company  with  some  of  his  chums,  he  jour- 
neyed to  Burlington,  where  he  met  Mr.  Obadiah 
Jones,  the  uncle  of  Porton,  and  asked  the  lumber 
dealer  if  Ward  were  his  real  nephew  or  not. 

"  Yes,  he  is  my  real  nephew  —  the  son  of  my 
youngest  sister,  who  married  a  good-for-nothing 
army  man,"  replied  Obadiah  Jones;  and  then  gave 
many  particulars.  He  stated  that  his  sister's 
name  had  been  Clarice  Jones  Porton,  and  that 
years  before  she  had  married  a  certain  Lieutenant 
Porton  of  the  United  States  Army,  an  officer  who 
had  been  discharged  because  of  irregularities  in 
his  accounts.  He  further  stated  that  the  mother 
of  the  young  man  was  dead,  and  what  had  become 
of  the  worthless  father  he  did  not  know  further 
than  that  it  had  been  stated  he  had  joined  some 
revolutionists  in  Mexico. 

Dave  had  gotten  Mr.  Jones  to  sign  a  paper 
stating  the  exact  truth  concerning  Ward  Porton, 
and  with  this  duly  witnessed  had  returned  to  Bear 


SOMETHING  OF  THE  PAST  21 

Camp.  All  present  were  glad  to  know  that  the 
cloud  hanging  over  his  name  had  been  cleared 
away.  His  sister  Laura  and  her  friend  Jessie 
hugged  him  over  and  over  again  in  their  delight. 

Then  came  news  that  Link  Merwell  had  been 
captured,  and  later  on  this  misguided  young  man 
was  sent  to  prison  for  his  share  in  the  crime  at 
the  jewelry  works.  A  hunt  was  instituted  for 
Ward  Porton,  but  he  had  taken  time  by  the  fore- 
lock and  disappeared. 

"  I  don't  believe  Ward  Porton  will  ever  bother 
you  again,  Dave,"  said  Roger  one  day.  But  the 
surmise  of  the  senator's  son  proved  incorrect,  as 
we  shall  see.  Ward  Porton  was  to  show  him- 
self and  make  more  trouble  than  he  had  ever 
made  before. 


CHAPTER  III 

THE  TEAM  THAT  RAN  AWAY 

**  Oh,  Dave,  the  gully  I  "  cried  his  sister  Laura. 
"  If  we  go  into  that  we'll  all  be  killed  I " 

"  Please  keep  quiet,  Laura,"  flung  back  her 
brother  in  a  low,  tense  voice.  "  These  horses  are 
scared  enough  as  it  is." 

Dave  was  doing  his  best  to  bring  the  spirited 
grays  out  of  their  mad  gallop.  But  they  had  not 
been  out  of  the  stable  for  the  best  part  of  a  week, 
and  this,  combined  with  the  scare  from  the  roar 
of  the  automobile,  had  so  gotten  on  their  nerves 
that  to  calm  them  seemed  next  to  impossible.  On 
and  on  they  flew  over  the  packed  snow  of  the 
hard  road,  the  sleigh  bouncing  from  side  to  side 
as  it  passed  over  the  bumps  in  the  highway. 

Jessie  was  deadly  pale  and  had  all  she  could  do 
to  keep  from  shrieking  with  fright.  But  when 
she  heard  Dave  address  his  sister  in  the  above 
words,  she  shut  her  teeth  hard,  resolved  to  remain 
silent,  no  matter  what  the  cost.  Ben  was  wor- 
ried as  well  as  scared  —  the  more  so  because  he 
realized  there  was  practically  nothing  he  could  do 
to  aid  Dave  in  subduing  the  runaways.     The  youth 


THE  TEAM  THAT  RAN  AWAY  23 

on  the  front  seat  had  braced  both  feet  on  the 
dashboard  of  the  sleigh,  and  was  pulling  back  on 
the  reins  with  all  the  strength  of  his  vigorous 
muscles. 

Thus  fully  a  quarter  of  a  mile  was  covered  — 
a  stretch  of  the  hill  road  which  fortunately  was 
comparatively  straight.  But  then  there  loomed 
up  ahead  a  sharp  turn,  leading  down  to  the 
straight  road  through  the  valley  below. 

"  Dave  —  the  turn  I  "  gasped  Ben,  unable  to 
keep  himself  from  speaking. 

*'  I  see  it.  I'll  do  what  I  can,"  cried  the  young 
driver ;  and  then  pulled  on  the  reins  more  strongly, 
if  possible,  than  before. 

Closer  and  closer  to  the  dreaded  turn  in  the 
road  the  sleigh  approached,  and  as  it  drew  nearer 
the  girls  huddled  in  their  seats  almost  too  terror- 
stricken  to  move.  Ben  sprang  up,  totally  un- 
conscious of  doing  so. 

"Can  you  make  it,  Dave,  do  you  think?" 
gasped  the  real  estate  man's  son,  when  the  turn 
was  less  than  a  hundred  feet  away. 

"  I  don't  think  I'll  try,"  was  the  unexpected 
answer.  "  Hold  fast,  everybody  1  We're  going 
through  the  fence  1  " 

The  turn  in  the  road  led  to  the  left,  and  as  they 
approached  it  Dave  relaxed  his  hold  on  the  left 
rein  and  pulled  with  might  and  main  on  the  right. 
This  brought  the  team  around  just  a  trifle,  but 


24   DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

It  was  enough  to  keep  them  from  attempting  to 
follow  the  road  —  something  which  would  un- 
doubtedly have  caused  the  slewing  around  of  the 
sleigh  and  probably  its  overturning.  As  it  was, 
the  team  left  the  roadway,  and  the  next  instant 
had  crashed  through  a  frail  rail- fence  and  was 
floundering  along  in  the  deep  snow  of  a  ploughed- 
up  and  sloping  field  beyond. 

"  Whoa  there ! "  cried  Dave,  soothingly. 
"Whoa,  Jerry  I  Whoa,  Bill!"  And  thus  he 
continued  to  talk  to  the  team  while  the  sleigh 
bumped  along  through  the  deep  snow  and  over 
the  uneven  ground. 

Running  away  on  the  smooth  surface  of  the 
highway  had  been  one  thing;  keeping  up  such  a 
gait  over  a  ploughed  field  and  in  snow  almost  a 
foot  deep  was  quite  another.  Soon  the  fiery  grays 
broke  from  their  mad  gallop  into  a  trot,  and  a 
minute  later  Dave  had  no  trouble  in  bringing 
them  to  a  halt.  There  they  stood  in  the  snow  and 
the  furrows  of  the  field,  snorting,  and  emitting 
clouds  of  steam  from  their  nostrils. 

"  Hold  'em,  Dave,  while  I  get  out  and  go  to 
their  heads  I  "  cried  Ben,  and  an  instant  later  was 
out  in  the  snow  and  had  hold  of  the  steeds.  Each 
of  the  horses  was  trembling  a  little,  but  the  run 
seemed  to  have  done  neither  of  them  any  harm. 

"  Oh,  Dave !  Dave  I  "  gasped  Jessie.  She 
tried  to  go  on,  but  could  not. 


THE  TEAM  THAT  RAN  AWAY  25 

"  Oh,  how  thankful  I  am  that  you  did  not  at- 
tempt to  go  around  that  corner  I  "  came  from 
Laura.  "  If  you  had  tried  that  we  would  have 
been  upset  and  maybe  all  killed !  "  and  she  shud- 
dered. 

*'  It  was  just  the  right  thing  to  do,  Dave,"  was 
Ben's  comment.  "  But  I  don't  know  that  I 
would  have  thought  of  it.  You  are  a  quick 
thinker,  and  I  guess  we  have  you  to  thank  for 
saving  our  lives." 

*'  Well,  we've  broken  down  somebody's  fence," 
returned  Dave,  not  knowing  what  else  to  say. 
"  We'll  have  to  fix  that,  I  suppose." 

"  Huh  I  What's  a  broken  fence  to  saving  one's 
neck  1  "  snorted  Ben.  "  Besides,  we  only  busted 
a  couple  of  rails,  and  they  are  not  worth  a  great 
deal." 

"  Dave,  do  you  think  it  will  be  safe  to  ride  be- 
hind that  team  any  more?  "  questioned  Laura. 

"  I'm  going  to  do  it,"  he  answered  promptly. 
"  No  team  of  horses  is  going  to  get  the  better 
of  me  I" 

"  I  think,  now  that  they  have  had  this  run, 
they'll  tame  down  a  little,"  said  Ben.  "  Besides 
that,  the  rest  of  the  road  to  Coburntown  is  al- 
most straight  and  flat." 

"  Yes,  and  as  soon  as  we  get  on  a  straight  road 
I'll  give  them  all  the  running  they  want,"  an- 
swered Dave.     "  I'll  guarantee  that  by  the  time 


a6   DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

we  reach  town  they'll  be  just  as  meek  as  any  one 
would  want  them." 

With  Ben  still  at  their  heads  the  team  was 
turned  around  and  led  to  the  roadway  once  more. 
There  the  horses  were  tied  to  a  tree  near  by,  and 
then  Dave  and  Ben  spent  a  little  time  in  repairing 
the  damage  done  to  the  fence. 

"  I  wish  we  could  find  out  who  those  fellows  in 
the  auto  were,"  said  Ben,  when  they  were  once 
again  on  the  way.  "  They  ought  to  be  fined  for 
speeding." 

"  I  doubt  if  we'll  be  able  to  locate  them,"  an- 
swered Dave.  And  he  was  right  —  they  never 
saw  or  heard  of  the  reckless  automobilists  again. 

As  has  been  mentioned,  beyond  the  hill  the  road 
to  Coburntown  was  almost  straight  and  level. 
And  here  for  over  two  miles  Dave  allowed  the 
grays  to  go  along  at  a  good  gait,  although  keep- 
ing his  eyes  on  them  continually,  so  that  they 
might  not  get  beyond  control.  As  a  consequence 
of  this  additional  burst  of  speed,  when  they  came 
in  sight  of  the  town  for  which  they  were  bound, 
the  grays  were  quite  docile  and  willing  to  behave 
themselves  properly. 

"  Now  if  you  say  so,  I'll  take  you  girls  around 
to  the  French  Shop,"  suggested  Dave,  "  and  then 
Ben  and  I  can  drive  around  to  Mr.  Wecks's  shoe- 
store." 

This  was  agreeable  to  Laura  and  Jessie,  and  in 


THE  TEAM  THAT  RAN  AWAY  27 

a  few  minutes  the  girls  were  left  at  the  door  of 
the  establishment  where  Laura  had  said  she 
wished  to  match  some  ribbon.  Then  the  two  boys 
started  for  the  shoe-dealer's  shop.  Dave  had  al- 
ready acquainted  Ben  with  the  particulars  of  his 
errand  to  the  place. 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  if  Weeks  says  you 
really  had  the  shoes?  "  questioned  the  son  of  the 
real  estate  dealer,  when  they  were  on  the  way  to 
the  shoe  store. 

"  But  how  can  he  say  that  when  I  haven't  been 
near  the  place,  Ben?"  returned  Dave. 

"  I  don't  know.  But  I  do  know  that  people 
have  sometimes  had  things  charged  to  them  at  the 
stores  which  other  people  got." 

"Humph!  Well,  I  sha'n't  pay  for  any  shoes 
that  I  did  not  get,"  answered  our  hero,  simply. 

Mr.  Wecks's  establishment  was  at  the  far  end  of 
the  main  street  of  Coburntown;  so  the  lads  had 
half  a  dozen  blocks  to  cover  before  they  reached 
the  place. 

"  Hello,  it's  closed  I  "  exclaimed  Ben,  as  they 
came  in  sight  of  the  store;  and  he  nodded  in  the 
direction  of  the  show  window,  the  curtain  of 
which  was  drawn  down.  The  curtain  on  the  door 
was  also  down,  and  on  the  glass  was  pasted  a  sheet 
of  note  paper. 

"  Some  sort  of  notice.  I'll  see  what  It  is,"  an- 
swered Dave,  and,  throwing  the  reins  to  Ben,  he 


a8   DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

left  the  sleigh.     Soon  he  was  reading  what  was 
written  on  the  sheet  of  paper; 

Closed  on  account  of  death  in  the  family. 

William  Wecks. 

"  Somebody  dead.  That's  too  bad  I  "  mused 
Dave.  "I  wonder  who  it  can  be?'*  and  then 
he  passed  into  a  barber  shop  next  door  to  find  out. 

"  It's  Mr.  Wecks's  father  —  a  very  old  man 
who  lived  back  in  the  country  from  here,"  ex- 
plained the  barber.  "  Mr.  Wecks  went  up  there 
last  night,  and  he  doesn't  expect  to  come  back  un- 
til after  the  funeral,  which  will  probably  be  day 
after  to-morrow." 

"  I  don't  suppose  his  clerk  is  around?"  ques- 
tioned Dave. 

"  No.  The  funeral  gave  him  a  holiday,  and 
he  was  glad  of  it.  He's  out  of  town,  too;  "  and 
having  thus  expressed  himself,  the  barber  turned 
to  wait  upon  a  customer  who  had  just  come  in,  and 
Dave  returned  to  the  sleigh. 

"  If  that's  the  case,  you'll  have  to  let  the  mat- 
ter rest  until  the  next  time  you  come  to  Coburn- 
town,  or  else  you'll  have  to  write  to  Mr.  Wecks," 
said  Ben. 

"  I'll  be  coming  over  again  before  very  long," 
answered  Dave.  "  But,  just  the  same,  I'd  like  to 
have  this  matter  settled." 

While  Dave  was  speaking  to  his  chum  a  man 


THE  TEAM  THAT  RAN  AWAY  29 

passed  him  on  the  sidewalk,  looking  at  him  rather 
fixedly.  This  man  was  Mr.  Asa  Dickley,  the  pro- 
prietor of  the  largest  gentlemen's  furnishing 
establishment  of  which  Coburntown  boasted. 
Our  hero  knew  the  man  fairly  well,  having  pur- 
chased a  number  of  things  at  his  place  from  time 
to  time,  and  so  he  nodded  pleasantly.  Mr.  Asa 
Dickley  nodded  in  return,  but  with  a  rather  sour 
expression  on  his  face.  Then  he  glanced  at  Ben, 
and  at  the  handsome  sleigh  and  still  more  stylish 
team  of  horses,  and  passed  on  muttering  some- 
thing to  himself. 

"  Mr.  Dickley  didn't  look  very  happy,"  was 
Dave's  comment,  as  he  and  Ben  entered  the  sleigh. 

"  I  don't  think  he  likes  my  father  very  much," 
answered  the  son  of  the  real  estate  dealer.  "  He 
wanted  to  get  a  piece  of  property  here  very  cheap, 
and  my  father  found  another  customer  for  the 
place  at  five  hundred  dollars  more." 

"  I  see,  Ben.  Just  the  same,  why  should  he 
give  me  such  a  hard  look?  Of  course,  I  haven't 
been  in  his  place  of  business  for  a  good  while. 
But  he  can't  expect  me  to  buy  all  my  furnishing 
goods  from  him." 

"  Well,  you  know  how  It  is,  Dave  —  when  you 
buy  some  things  from  some  storekeepers  they 
think  they  are  entitled  to  your  whole  trade. 
However,  I  shouldn't  let  the  matter  worry  me." 

"  Not  much  1     I've  got  other  things  to  think 


30   DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

about.  Don't  forget  that  I  expect  next  month  to 
take  that  examination  in  civil  engineering. 
That's  what  is  on  my  mind  just  now." 

"  Oh,  you'll  pass,  don't  worry,  Dave.  Just 
think  of  what  a  brilliant  showing  you  made  at  Oak 
Hall." 

"  True.  But  my  studies  in  civil  engineering 
have  been  a  good  deal  harder  than  anything  I 
tackled  at  school.  If  it  wasn't  for  Mr.  Ramsdell, 
the  old  civil  engineer  who  is  coaching  Roger  and 
me,  I  don't  know  how  I  would  possibly  have 
gotten  along." 

"  If  you  pass  the  examination,  what  will  you  do 
next?" 

"  Roger  and  I  will  go  out  on  some  constructive 
work  and  thus  get  a  taste  of  real  engineering. 
Mr.  Ramsdell  thinks  he  can  get  us  positions  with 
the  Mentor  Construction  Company  of  Philadel- 
phia, who  are  now  doing  a  good  deal  of  work  in 
Texas  —  laying  out  railroads  and  building 
bridges." 

"  In  Texas?  Sayl  that's  quite  a  distance  from 
here." 

"  So  It  is,  Ben.  But  it  is  not  as  far  as  I  expect 
to  get  some  day.  If  I  ever  make  anything  of  civil 
engineering  I  hope  some  day  to  be  able  to  do  some 
great  work  in  other  parts  of  the  world  —  maybe 
in  Mexico  or  South  America." 

"  Say,  that  will  be  great  1  "  cried  Ben,  enthusi- 


THE  TEAM  THAT  RAN  AWAY  31 

astically.  *'  You'll  have  a  fine  chance  to  see  the 
world.  You  must  take  after  your  uncle,  Dave. 
He  was  always  a  great  fellow  to  travel.  Think 
of  how  you  located  him  years  ago  away  down  on 
that  island  in  the  South  Seas  I  " 

"  It  sure  was  a  great  trip  I  And  some  day  I'd 
like  to  take  it  over  again.  But  just  now  I've  got 
to  put  in  all  my  time  on  this  civil  engineering 
proposition.  I  think  I'll  be  lucky  if  I  pass  and 
get  that  chance  to  go  to  Texas.'* 


CHAPTER  IV 

WARD  PORTON  AGAIN 

A  QUARTER  of  an  hour  later  the  girls  had  fin- 
ished their  shopping  and  rejoined  the  boys.  Then 
it  was  decided  that  the  party  should  go  on  to  Clay- 
ton, six  miles  farther.  They  were  told  that  the 
road  was  in  excellent  condition,  and  this  proved 
to  be  a  fact,  so  that  the  sleighing  was  thoroughly 
enjoyed. 

It  was  growing  dark  when  they  drove  down  the 
main  street  of  Clayton,  and,  although  a  bit  early, 
all  agreed  to  Dave's  suggestion  that  they  get  din- 
ner at  the  leading  restaurant  —  a  place  at  which 
they  had  stopped  a  number  of  times  and  which 
they  knew  to  be  first-class. 

"  What  a  pity  Roger  couldn't  come  along," 
said  Jessie  to  Dave  just  before  sitting  down  to 
the  sumptuous  meal  which  the  boys  had  ordered. 
"  I  know  he  would  have  enjoyed  this  very  much." 

"  No  doubt  of  It,  Jessie,"  answered  Dave,  who 
well  knew  what  a  fondness  for  his  sister  the  sena- 
tor's son  possessed.  "  But,  as  you  know,  Roger 
had  to  go  home  on  a  business  matter  for  his  father. 
Senator  Morr  is  very  busy  in  Washington  these 

32 


WARD  PORTON  AGAIN  33 

days,  so  Roger  has  to  take  care  of  quite  a  few 
matters  at  home." 

"  Isn't  it  queer  that  he  doesn't  want  to  follow 
In  the  footsteps  of  his  father  and  take  up  poli- 
tics? "  went  on  the  girl. 

"  Senator  Morr  didn't  want  him  to  do  it.  And, 
besides,  Roger  has  no  taste  that  way.  He  loves 
civil  engineering  just  as  much  as  I  do." 

"  It's  a  wonder  you  and  he  didn't  persuade 
Phil  Lawrence  to  take  it  up,  too,  Dave." 

"Oh,  Phil  couldn't  do  that.  You  know  his 
father's  shipping  interests  are  very  large,  and  Mr. 
Lawrence  wants  Phil  to  take  hold  with  him  —  and 
Phil  likes  that  sort  of  thing.  He  is  planning 
right  now  to  take  several  trips  on  his  father's 
ships  this  summer." 

"  When  does  that  examination  of  yours  come 
off,  Dave?" 

"  About  the  middle  of  next  month." 

"  And  if  you  really  pass,  are  you  going  to  work 
away  down  in  Texas?"  continued  the  girl,  anx- 
iously. 

*'  If  I  can  get  the  position, —  and  if  Roger  is 
willing  to  go  along." 

"I  don't  like  to  have  you  go  so  far  away;" 
and  Jessie  pouted  a  little. 

"  Well,  It  can't  be  helped.  If  I  want  to  be  a 
civil  engineer  I've  got  to  take  an  opening  where  I 
can  get  It.     Besides,  Mr.  Ramsdell  thinks  it  will 


34   DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

be  the  best  kind  of  training  for  Roger  and  me. 
He  knows  the  men  at  the  head  of  the  Mentor 
Company,  and  will  get  them  to  give  us  every  op- 
portunity to  advance  ourselves.  That,  you  know, 
will  mean  a  great  deal." 

"  Oh,  but  Texas,  Dave  I  Why,  that  is  thou- 
sands of  miles  away  I  " 

"  Not  so  very  many  thousands,  Jessie,"  he  an- 
swered with  a  little  smile.  "  The  mails  run  regu- 
larly, and  I  trust  you  will  not  forget  how  to  write 
letters.  Besides  that,  I  don't  expect  to  stay  in 
Texas  forever." 

"  Yes,  but  when  you  come  back  from  Texas, 
you'll  be  going  off  to  some  other  far-away  place  — 
South  America,  or  Africa,  or  the  North  Pole,  or 
somewhere,"  and  Jessie  pouted  again. 

"  Oh,  say,  let  up  I  I'm  not  going  to  South 
Africa,  or  to  the  North  Pole  either.  Of  course, 
I  may  go  to  Mexico  or  South  America,  or  to  the 
Far  West.  But  that  won't  be  so  very  soon.  It 
will  be  after  I  have  had  considerable  experience  in 
civil  engineering,  and  when  I  am  older  than  I  am 
now.  And  you  know  what  sometimes  happens  to 
a  fellow  when  he  gets  older?  " 

"What?" 

"  He  gets  married." 

"  Oh,  indeed  I "  Jessie  blushed  a  little.  "  And 
then  I  suppose  he  goes  off  and  leaves  his  wife  be- 
hind and  forgets  all  about  her." 


WARD  PORTON  AGAIN  35 

"Does  he?  Not  so  as  you  can  notice  It  I  He 
takes  his  wife  with  him  —  that  is,  provided  she 
will  go." 

"  Oh,  the  Idea  I  "  and  now,  as  Dave  looked  her 
steadily  in  the  eyes,  Jessie  blushed  more  than  ever. 

Where  this  conversation  would  have  ended  it  Is 
impossible  to  say,  but  at  that  moment  Laura  in- 
terrupted the  pair,  followed  by  Ben;  and  then  the 
talk  became  general  as  the  four  sat  down  to  din- 
ner. 

The  horses  had  been  put  up  in  a  stable  con- 
nected with  the  restaurant,  and  after  the  meal  it 
was  Dave  who  went  out  to  get  them  and  bring 
them  around  to  the  front  of  the  place.  He  was 
just  driving  to  the  street  when  his  glance  fell  upon 
a  person  standing  in  the  glare  of  an  electric  light. 
The  person  had  his  face  turned  full  toward  our 
hero,  so  that  Dave  got  a  good  look  at  him. 

"  Ward  Porton !  "  cried  the  youth  In  astonish- 
ment. "  How  In  the  world  did  that  fellow  get 
here,  and  what  is  he  doing?  " 

Like  a  flash  the  memory  of  the  past  came  over 
Dave  —  how  Ward  Porton  had  tried  to  pass  him- 
self off  as  the  real  Dave  Porter  and  thus  relegate 
Dave  himself  back  to  the  ranks  of  the  "  nobodies." 

Dave  was  crossing  the  sidewalk  at  the  time,  but 
as  soon  as  he  had  the  team  and  the  sleigh  in  the 
street  he  jumped  out  and  made  his  way  towards 
the  other  youth. 


36   DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

"  I  think  I'll  interview  him  and  see  what  he  has 
to  say  for  himself,"  murmured  Dave  to  himself. 
*'  Maybe  I'll  have  him  arrested." 

Ward  Porton  had  been  staring  at  our  hero  all 
the  while  he  was  turning  into  the  street  and  get- 
ting out  of  the  sleigh.  But  now,  as  he  saw  Dave 
approaching,  he  started  to  walk  away. 

"  Stop,  Porton !  I  want  to  talk  to  you,"  called 
out  our  hero.     "  Stop  I  " 

"  I  don't  want  to  see  you,"  returned  the  other 
youth,  hastily.  "  You  let  me  alone ;  "  and  then, 
as  Dave  came  closer,  he  suddenly  broke  into  a 
run  down  the  street.  Dave  was  taken  by  surprise, 
but  only  for  a  moment.  Then  he,  too,  com- 
menced to  run,  doing  his  best  to  catch  the  fellow 
ahead. 

But  Ward  Porton  was  evidently  scared.  He 
looked  back,  and,  seeing  Dave  running,  in- 
creased his  speed,  and  then  shot  around  a  corner 
and  into  an  alleyway.  When  Dave  reached  the 
corner  he  was  nowhere  in  sight. 

"  He  certainly  was  scared,"  was  Dave's  mental 
comment,  as  he  looked  up  and  down  the  side  street 
and  even  glanced  into  the  alleyway.  "  I  wonder 
where  he  went  and  If  it  would  do  any  good  to  look 
any  further  for  him?  " 

Dave  spent  fully  five  minutes  In  that  vicinity, 
but  without  being  able  to  discover  Ward  Porton's 
hiding-place.     Then,    knowing   that    the    others 


WARD  PORTON  AGAIN  37 

would  be  wondering  what  had  become  of  him,  and 
being  also  afraid  that  the  grays  might  run  away 
again,  he  returned  to  where  he  had  left  the  sleigh 
standing. 

"  Hello  1  Where  did  you  go?"  called  out 
Ben,  who  had  just  emerged  from  the  restaurant. 

"What  do  you  think?  I  just  saw  that  rascal. 
Ward  Porton !  "  burst  out  Dave. 

"Porton!  You  don't  mean  it?  Where  is 
he?" 

*'  He  was  standing  under  that  light  when  I 
drove  out  from  the  stable.  I  ran  to  speak  to 
him,  and  then  he  took  to  his  legs  and  scooted 
around  yonder  corner.  I  went  after  him,  but  by 
the  time  I  got  on  the  side  street  he  was  out  of 
sight." 

"  Is  that  so !  It's  too  bad  you  couldn't  catch 
him,  Dave.  I  suppose  you  would  have  liked  to 
talk  to  him." 

"  That's  right,  Ben.  And  maybe  I  might  have 
had  him  arrested,  although  now  that  he  has  been 
exposed,  and  now  that  Link  Merwell  is  in  jail, 
I  don't  suppose  it  would  have  done  much  good." 

"  It's  queer  he  should  show  himself  so  close  to 
Crumville.  One  would  think  that  he  would  want 
to  put  all  the  distance  possible  between  himself 
and  your  folks." 

"  That's  true,  Ben.  Maybe  he  is  up  to  some 
more  of  his  tricks." 


38   DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

The  girls  were  on  the  lookout  for  the  boys,  and 
now,  having  bundled  up  well,  they  came  from  the 
restaurant,  and  all  got  into  the  sleigh  once  more. 
Then  they  turned  back  in  the  direction  of  Crum- 
ville,  this  time,  however,  taking  a  route  which  did 
not  go  near  Conover's  Hill. 

"  Oh,  Dave  I  were  you  sure  it  was  that  Ward 
Porton?  "  questioned  his  sister,  when  he  had  told 
her  and  Jessie  about  the  appearance  of  the  former 
moving-picture  actor. 

"  I  was  positive.  Besides,  If  It  wasn't  Porton, 
why  would  he  run  away?  " 

"  I  sincerely  hope  he  doesn't  try  to  do  you  any 
harm,  Dave,"  said  Jessie,  and  gave  a  little  shiver. 
"  I  was  hoping  we  had  seen  the  last  of  that  horrid 
young  man." 

"  Why,  Jessie  I  You  wouldn't  call  him  horrid, 
would  you,  when  he  looks  so  very  much  like 
Dave  ?  "  asked  Ben,  mischievously. 

"  He  doesn't  look  very  much  like  Dave,"  re- 
turned the  girl,  quickly.  "  And  he  doesn't  act  in 
the  least  like  him,"  she  added  loyally. 

"  It's  mighty  queer  to  have  a  double  that  way," 
was  the  comment  of  the  real  estate  man's  son. 
"  I  don't  know  that  I  should  like  to  have  some- 
body else  looking  like  me." 

"  If  you  couldn't  help  It,  you'd  have  to  put  up 
with  it,"  returned  Dave,  briefly.     And  then  he 


WARD  PORTON  AGAIN  39 

changed  the  subject,  which,  as  the  others  could 
plainly  see,  was  distasteful  to  him. 

As  they  left  Clayton  the  moon  came  up  over  a 
patch  of  woods,  flooding  the  snowy  roadway  with 
subdued  light.  In  spite  of  what  had  happened, 
all  of  the  young  folks  were  in  good  spirits,  and 
they  were  soon  laughing  and  chatting  gaily.  Ben 
started  to  sing  one  of  the  old  Oak  Hall  favorites, 
and  Dave  and  the  girls  joined  in.  The  grays 
were  now  behaving  themselves,  and  trotted  along 
as  steadily  as  could  be  desired. 

When  the  sleighing-party  reached  Crumville 
they  left  Ben  Basswood  at  his  door,  and  then  went 
on  to  the  Wadsworth  mansion. 

"Did  you  have  a  fine  ride?"  inquired  Mrs. 
Wadsworth,  when  the  young  folks  bustled  into  the 
house. 

"  Oh,  it  was  splendid,  Mamma  I  "  cried  her 
daughter.  "  Coming  back  in  the  moonlight  was 
just  the  nicest  ever  I  " 

"Did  those  grays  behave  themselves?"  ques- 
tioned Mr.  Wadsworth,  who  was  present. 
"  John  said  they  acted  rather  frisky  when  he 
brought  them  out." 

"  Oh,  they  were  pretty  frisky  at  first,"  returned 
Dave.  "  But  I  finally  managed  to  get  them  to 
calm  down,"  he  added.  The  matter  had  been 
discussed  by  the  young  folks,  and  it  had  been  de- 


40       DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

cided  not  to  say  anything  about  the  runaway  unless 
it  was  necessary. 

On  the  following  morning  Dave  had  to  apply 
himself  diligently  to  his  studies.  Since  leaving 
Oak  Hall  he  had  been  attending  a  civil  engineer- 
ing class  in  the  city  with  Roger,  and  had,  in  addi- 
tion, been  taking  private  tutoring  from  a  Mr. 
Ramsdell,  a  retired  civil  engineer  of  considerable 
reputation,  who,  in  years  gone  by,  had  been  a 
college  friend  of  Dave's  father.  Dave  was  ex- 
ceedingly anxious  to  make  as  good  a  showing  as 
possible  at  the  coming  examinations. 

"  Here  are  several  letters  for  you,  David," 
said  6ld  Mr.  Potts  to  him  late  that  afternoon,  as 
he  entered  the  boy's  study  with  the  mail.  "  You 
seem  to  be  the  lucky  one,"  the  retired  professor 
continued,  with  a  smile.     "  All  I've  got  is  a  bill." 

*'  Maybe  there  is  a  bill  here  for  me,  Professor," 
returned  Dave  gaily,  as  he  took  the  missives 
handed  out. 

Dave  glanced  at  the  envelopes.  By  the  hand- 
writings he  knew  that  one  letter  was  from  Phil 
Lawrence  and  another  from  Shadow  Hamilton, 
one  of  his  old  Oak  Hall  chums,  and  a  fellow  who 
loved  to  tell  stories.  The  third  communication 
was  postmarked  Coburntown,  and  in  a  corner  of 
the  envelope  had  the  imprint  of  Asa  Dickley. 

"  Hello !  I  wonder  what  Mr.  Dickley  wants 
of  me,"  Dave  mused,  as  he  turned  the  letter  over. 


WARD  PORTON  AGAIN  41 

Then  he  remembered  how  sour  the  store-keeper 
had  appeared  when  they  had  met  the  day  before. 
"  Maybe  he  wants  to  know  why  I  haven't  bought 
anything  from  him  lately." 

Dave  tore  open  the  communication  which  was 
written  on  one  of  Asa  Dickley's  letterheads.  The 
letter  ran  as  follows : 

"  Mr.  David  Porter. 
"Dear  Sir: 

"  I  thought  when  I  saw  you  in  Coburntown  to- 
day that  you  would  come  in  and  see  me ;  but  you 
did  not.  Will  you  kindly  let  me  know  why  you 
do  not  settle  up  as  promised?  When  I  let  you 
have  the  goods,  you  said  you  would  settle  up  by 
the  end  of  the  week  without  fail.  Unless  you 
come  in  and  settle  up  inside  of  the  next  week  I 
shall  have  to  call  the  attention  of  your  father  to 
what  you  owe  me. 

"  Yours  truly, 
"  Asa  Dickley.'* 


CHAPTER  y 

WHAT  ASA  DICKLEY  HAD  TO  SAY 

Dave  read  the  letter  received  from  Mr.  Asa 
DIckley  with  much  interest.  He  went  over  it 
twice,  and  as  he  did  so  the  second  time  his  mind 
reverted  to  the  communication  received  the  morn- 
ing before  from  Mr.  Weeks. 

"  What  in  the  world  does  Mr.  Dickley  mean  by 
writing  to  me  in  this  fashion?"  he  mused.  "I 
haven't  had  anything  from  him  in  a  long  while, 
and  I  don't  owe  him  a  cent.  It  certainly  is  a 
mighty  strange  proceeding,  to  say  the  least." 

Then  like  a  flash  another  thought  came  into  his 
mind  —  was  Ward  Porton  connected  in  any  way 
with  this  affair? 

"  Somebody  must  have  gotten  some  things  in 
my  name  from  Mr.  Dickley,  and  he  must  have 
gotten  those  shoes  from  Mr.  Weeks,  too.  If  the 
party  went  there  in  person  and  said  he  was  Dave 
Porter,  I  don't  think  it  could  have  been  any  one 
but  Ward  Porton,  because,  so  far  as  I  know,  he's 
the  only  fellow  that  resembles  me." 

Our  hero  was  so  much  worried  that  he  gave 
scant  attention  to  the  letters  received  from  Phil 

42 


WHAT  ASA  DICKLEY  HAD  TO  SAY     43 

Lawrence  and  Shadow  Hamilton,  even  though 
those  communications  contained  many  matters  of 
Interest.  He  was  looking  at  the  DIckley  com- 
munication for  a  third  time  when  his  sister  en- 
tered. 

"Well,  Dave,  no  more  bad  news  I  hope?" 
said  Laura,  with  a  smile. 

"  It  Is  bad  news,"  he  returned.  "  Just  read 
that;  "  and  he  turned  the  letter  over  to  her. 

"  If  you  owe  Mr.  DIckley  any  money  you  ought 
to  pay  him,"  said  the  sister,  after  perusing  the 
epistle.  "  I  don't  think  father  would  like  It  if 
he  knew  you  were  running  into  debt,"  and  she 
gazed  anxiously  at  Dave. 

"  Laura  I  You  ought  to  know  me  better  than 
that,"  he  answered  somewhat  shortly.  "  I  never 
run  any  bills  unless  I  am  able  to  pay  them.  But 
this  Is  something  different.  It  is  in  the  same  line 
with  the  one  I  got  from  Mr.  Weeks.  I  didn't  get 
his  shoes,  and  I  haven't  gotten  anything  from  Mr. 
DIckley  for  a  long  time,  and  nothing  at  all  that 
I  haven't  paid  for." 

"  Oh,  Dave  I  do  you  mean  It?  "  and  now  Laura's 
face  took  on  a  look  of  worry.  "  Why,  some- 
body must  be  playing  a  trick  on  you  I  " 

"  If  he  Is,  It's  a  mighty  mean  trick,  Laura.  But 
I  think  It  Is  more  than  a  trick.  I  think  It  Is  a 
swindle." 

"Swindle?" 


44   DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

"  Exactly.  And  what  is  more,  do  you  know 
who  I  think  is  guilty?  " 

"Why,  who  could  be  guilty?"  The  sister 
paused  for  a  moment  to  look  at  her  brother. 
"  Oh,  Dave  I  could  it  be  that  awful  Ward  Por- 
ton?" 

"  That's  the  fellow  I  fasten  on.  Didn't  we  meet 
him  in  Clayton?  And  that's  only  six  miles  from 
Coburntown.  More  than  likely  that  rascal  has 
been  hanging  around  here,  and  maybe  getting  a 
whole  lot  of  things  in  my  name."  Dave  began  to 
pace  the  floor.  "  It's  a  shame  I  If  I  could  get 
hold  of  him  I  think  I  would  have  him  locked  up." 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  about  this  letter  ?  " 

"  I'm  going  to  go  to  Coburntown  the  first 
chance  I  get  and  tell  Mr.  Dickley,  and  also  Mr. 
Weeks,  the  truth.  I  want  to  find  out  whether  the 
party  who  got  those  things  procured  them  in  per- 
son or  on  some  written  order.  If  he  got  them  on 
a  written  order,  somebody  must  have  forged  my 
name." 

"  Hadn't  you  better  tell  father  or  Uncle  Dun- 
ston  about  this?  " 

"  Not  just  yet,  Laura.  It  will  be  time  enough 
to  worry  them  after  I  have  seen  Mr.  Weeks  and 
Mr.  Dickley.  Perhaps  I  can  settle  the  matter 
myself." 

Dave  was  so  upset  that  it  was  hard  for  him  to 
buckle  down  to  his  studies;  and  he  was  glad  that 


WHAT  ASA  DICKLEY  HAD  TO  SAY     45 

evening  when  an  Interruption  came  in  the  shape  of 
the  arrival  of  his  old  school  chum  and  fellow  en- 
gineering student,  Roger  Morr. 

"  Back  again !  And  right  side  up  with  care  I  " 
announced  the  senator's  son,  as  he  came  in  and 
shook  hands.  "  My  I  but  I've  had  a  busy  time 
since  I've  been  away!  "  he  replied  in  answer  to  a 
question  of  Dave's.  "  I  had  to  settle  up  one  or 
two  things  for  father,  and  then  I  had  to  go  on 
half  a  dozen  different  errands  for  mother,  and 
then  see  to  it  that  I  got  those  new  text  books  that 
Mr.  Ramsdell  spoke  about.  I  got  two  copies  of 
each,  Dave,  and  here  are  those  that  are  coming  to 
you,"  and  he  passed  over  three  small  volumes. 
"  And  that  isn't  all.  I  just  met  Ben  Basswood 
at  the  depot  where  he  was  sending  a  telegram  to 
his  father,  who  is  in  Chicago.  Ben  had  some  won- 
derful news  to  tell." 

"What  was  that?"  asked  Laura  and  Jessie 
simultaneously. 

"  He  didn't  give  me  any  of  the  particulars,  but 
it  seems  an  old  friend  of  theirs  died  out  in  Chi- 
cago recently,  and  Mr.  Basswood  was  sent  for  by 
some  lawyers  to  help  settle  the  estate." 

"  Yes,  we  know  that  much,"  broke  in  Dave. 
"  But  what's  the  new  news?  " 

"Why,  it  seems  this  man,  Enos,  died  quite 
wealthy,  and  he  left  almost  his  entire  estate  to  Mr. 
Basswood." 


46   DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

"  Is  that  so  I  "  cried  Dave.  "  That  sure  is 
fine  I  I  don't  know  of  anybody  who  deserves 
money  more  than  do  the  Basswoods,"  and  his  face 
lit  up  with  genuine  pleasure. 

"  It  will  be  nice  for  Ben,"  said  Jessie,  "  and 
even  nicer  for  Mrs.  Basswood.  Mamma  says 
there  was  a  time  when  they  were  quite  poor,  and 
Mrs.  Basswood  had  to  do  all  her  own  work. 
Now  they'll  be  able  to  take  it  easy." 

"  Oh,  they  are  far  from  poor,"  returned  Dave. 
"  They've  been  living  on  '  Easy  Street,'  as  the  say- 
ing goes,  for  a  number  of  years.  Just  the  same, 
it  will  be  a  fine  thing  for  them  to  get  this  fortune.'* 

"  There  was  one  thing  about  the  news  that  Ben 
didn't  understand,"  continued  Roger.  *'  His 
father  telegraphed  that  the  estate  was  a  decidedly 
curious  one,  and  that  was  why  the  lawyers  wanted 
him  to  come  to  Chicago  immediately.  He  added 
that  Mr.  Enos  had  proved  to  be  a  very  eccentric 
individual." 

"  Maybe  he  was  as  eccentric  as  that  man  in 
Rhode  Island  I  once  read  about,"  said  Dave,  with 
a  grin.  "  When  he  died  he  left  an  estate  consist- 
ing of  about  twelve  thousand  ducks.  This  estate 
went  to  two  worthless  nephews,  who  knew  noth- 
ing at  all  about  their  uncle's  business.  And,  as 
somebody  said,  the  two  nephews  very  soon  made 
'  ducks  and  drakes  *  of  the  whole  fortune." 

"Oh,  what  a  story!"  cried  Jessie,  laughing. 


WHAT  ASA  DICKLEY  HAD  TO  SAY      47 

"  Twelve  thousand  ducks  I  What  ever  would  a 
person  do  with  them?" 

"  Why,  some  duck  farms  are  very  profitable," 
returned  Roger. 

"  You  don't  suppose  this  Mr.  Enos  left  such  a 
fortune  as  that  to  Mr.  Basswood?"  queried 
Laura. 

"  I'm  sure  I  don't  know  what  the  fortune  con- 
sists of.  And  neither  did  Ben.  He  was  tremen- 
dously curious  to  know.  And  he  said  his  mother 
could  hardly  wait  until  Mr.  Basswood  sent  addi- 
tional information,"  replied  Roger. 

"  Ben  told  me  that  this  Mr.  Enos  was  once  a 
partner  of  his  father  in  business,  the  two  running 
an  art  store  together.  Enos  was  very  much  in- 
terested in  art;  so  it's  possible  the  fortune  he  left 
may  have  something  to  do  with  that,"  added  Dave. 

As  my  old  readers  know,  Roger  Morr  had  al- 
ways thought  a  great  deal  of  Laura ;  and  of  late 
his  liking  for  her  had  greatly  increased.  On  her 
part,  Dave's  sister  had  always  considered  the  sen- 
ator's son  a  very  promising  young  man.  Conse- 
quently, it  can  well  be  imagined  that  the  four 
young  people  spent  a  most  enjoyable  time  that 
evening  in  the  mansion.  The  girls  played  on  the 
piano  and  all  sang,  and  then  some  rugs  were 
pushed  aside,  a  phonograph  was  brought  into  ac- 
tion, and  they  danced  a  number  of  the  latest  steps, 
with  the  older  folks  looking  on. 


48   DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

Roger  was  to  remain  over  for  several  days  at 
Crumville,  and  early  the  next  morning  Dave  asked 
his  chum  if  he  would  accompany  him  on  a  hasty 
trip  to  Coburntown.  He  had  already  acquainted 
Roger  with  the  trouble  he  was  having  with  the 
shoe-dealer  and  the  man  who  sold  men's  furnish- 
ings. 

"  We  can  take  a  horse  and  cutter  and  be  back 
before  lunch,"  said  Dave. 

"  I'll  be  glad  to  go,"  answered  the  senator's 
son.  "  I  haven't  had  a  ride  in  a  cutter  this  win- 
ter." 

They  were  soon  on  the  way,  Dave  this  time 
driving  a  black  horse  that  could  not  only  cover  the  , 
ground  well,  but  was  thoroughly  reliable.  By  ten 
o'clock  they  found  themselves  in  Coburntown,  and 
made  their  way  to  the  establishment  run  by  Asa 
Dickley.  The  proprietor  of  the  store  was  busy 
with  a  customer  at  the  time,  and  a  clerk  came  for- 
ward to  wait  on  the  new  arrivals. 

"  I  wish  to  speak  to  Mr.  Dickley,"  said  Dave; 
and  he  and  Roger  waited  until  the  man  was  at 
leisure.  Mr.  Dickley  looked  anything  but  pleas- 
ant as  he  walked  up  to  our  hero. 

*'  I  got  a  very  strange  letter  from  you,  Mr. 
Dickley.  I  can't  understand  it  at  all,"  began 
Dave. 

"  And  I  can't  understand  why  you  treat  me  the 
way  you  do,"  blurted  out  the  shopkeeper.     "  You 


WHAT  ASA  DICKLEY  HAD  TO  SAY      49 

promised  to  come  In  here  and  settle  up  over  a 
week  ago." 

"  Mr.  DIckley,  I  think  there  Is  a  big  mistake 
somewhere,"  said  Dave,  as  calmly  as  he  could. 
"  I  don't  owe  you  any  money,  and  I  can't  under- 
stand why  you  should  write  me  such  a  letter  as 
this,"  and  he  brought  forth  the  communication  he 
had  received. 

"You  don't  owe  me  any  money  I"  ejaculated 
Asa  DIckley.  "  I  just  guess  you  do  I  You  owe 
me  twenty-six  dollars." 

"Twenty-six  dollars!"  repeated  Dave. 
"What  Is  that  for?" 

"  For  ?  You  know  as  well  as  I  do !  Didn't 
you  come  In  here  and  get  a  fedora  hat,  some  shirts 
and  collars  and  neckties,  and  a  pair  of  fur-lined 
gloves,  and  a  lot  of  underwear?  The  whole  bill 
came  to  just  twenty-six  dollars." 

"And  when  was  this  stuff  purchased?"  went 
on  Dave. 

"  When  was  it  purchased  ?  See  here,  Porter, 
what  sort  of  tom-foolery  Is  this?"  cried  Asa 
DIckley.  "  You  know  as  well  as  I  do  when  you 
got  the  things.  I  wouldn't  be  so  harsh  with  you, 
only  you  promised  me  faithfully  that  you  would 
come  In  and  settle  up  long  before  this." 

"  Mr.  DIckley,  I  haven't  had  any  goods  from 
you  for  a  long,  long  time  —  and  what  I  have  had 
I  have  paid  for,"  answered  Dave,  doing  his  best 


50   DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

to  keep  his  temper,  because  he  knew  the  store- 
keeper must  be  laboring  under  a  mistake.  "  As 
a  matter  of  fact,  I  haven't  been  in  your  store  for 
several  months." 

"What I"  ejaculated  the  storekeeper.  "Do 
you  mean  to  deny  that  you  bought  those  goods 
from  me,  young  man?  " 

"  I  certainly  do  deny  it.  As  I  said  before,  I 
haven't  been  in  this  store  for  several  months." 

At  this  plain  declaration  made  by  Dave,  Mr. 
Asa  Dickley  grew  fairly  purple.  He  leaned  over 
his  counter  and  shook  his  clenched  fist  in  Dave's 
face. 

"  So  that  is  the  way  you  are  going  to  try  to 
swindle  me  out  of  my  money,  is  it,  Dave  Por- 
ter? "  he  cried.  "  Well,  let  me  tell  you,  it  won't 
work.  You  came  here  and  got  those  goods  from 
me,  and  either  you'll  pay  for  them  or  I'll  sue 
your  father  for  the  amount.  Why,  it's  prepos- 
terous I  "  The  storekeeper  turned  to  his  clerk, 
who  was  gazing  on  the  scene  in  open-mouthed 
wonder.  "  Here  a  customer  comes  in  and  buys  a 
lot  of  goods  and  I  am  good-hearted  enough  to 
trust  him  to  the  amount,  twenty-six  dollars,  and 
then  he  comes  here  and  declares  to  my  face  that 
he  never  had  the  things  and  he  won't  pay  for 
them.  Now  what  do  you  think  of  that,  Hib- 
bins?" 

"  I  think  it's  pretty  raw,"  responded  the  clerk. 


WHAT  ASA  DICKLEY  HAD  TO  SAY     51 

"  Weren't  you  in  the  shop  when  I  let  Porter 
have  some  of  those  goods?  " 

"  I  certainly  was,"  answered  Hibbins.  "  Of 
course,  I  was  in  the  rear,  sorting  out  those  new 
goods  that  had  come  in,  so  I  didn't  see  just  what 
you  let  him  have;  but  I  certainly  know  he  got 
some  things." 

"  Mr.  Dickley,  now  listen  to  me  for  a  minute," 
said  Dave  in  a  tone  of  voice  that  arrested  the 
man's  attention  in  spite  of  his  irascibility.  *'  Look 
at  me  closely.  Didn't  the  fellow  who  got  those 
things  from  you  look  somewhat  different  from 
me  I 

Dave  faced  the  storekeeper  with  unflinching 
eyes,  and  Asa  Dickley  was  compelled  to  look  the 
youth  over  carefully.  As  he  did  this  the  positive 
expression  on  his  face  gradually  changed  to  one 
of  doubt. 

"  Why,  I  —  er  —  Of  course,  he  looked  like 
you,"  he  stammered.  "  Of  course  you  can 
change  your  looks  a  little;  but  that  don't  count 
with  me.  Besides,  didn't  you  give  me  your  name 
as  Dave  Porter,  and  ask  me  if  I  didn't  remember 
you?" 

"  The  fellow  who  got  those  goods  may  have 
done  all  that,  Mr.  Dickley.  But  that  fellow  was 
not  I.  I  may  be  mistaken,  but  I  think  it  was  a 
young  man  who  resembles  me,  and  who  some  time 
ago  made  a  great  deal  of  trouble  for  me." 


52   DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

"  Humph !  That's  a  fishy  kind  of  story,  Por- 
ter. If  there  is  such  a  person  he  must  look  very 
much  like  you." 

"  He  does.  In  fact,  some  people  declare  they 
can  hardly  tell  us  apart." 

"  What's  the  name  of  that  fellow?  " 

"  Ward  Porton." 

*'  Does  he  live  around  here?  " 

"  I  don't  know  where  he  is  living  just  at  pres- 
ent. But  I  saw  him  day  before  yesterday  in  Clay- 
ton. I  tried  to  stop  him,  but  he  ran  away  from 
me. 

The  storekeeper  gazed  at  Dave  for  a  moment 
in  silence,  and  then  pursed  up  his  lips  and  shook 
his  head  decidedly. 

"  That  is  too  much  of  a  fish  story  for  me  to 
swallow,"  he  said  harshly.  *'  You'll  either  have 
to  bring  that  young  man  here  and  prove  that  he 
got  the  goods,  or  else  you'll  have  to  pay  for  them 
yourself.'* 


CHAPTER  VI 

MORE  TROUBLE 

Dave  and  Roger  spent  the  best  part  of  half  an 
hour  in  Asa  DIckley's  store,  and  during  that  time 
our  hero  and  his  chum  gave  the  particulars  of 
how  they  had  become  acquainted  with  Ward  Por- 
ton,  and  how  the  young  moving-picture  actor  had 
tried  to  pass  himself  off  as  the  real  Dave  Porter, 
and  how  he  had  been  exposed  and  had  disap- 
peared. 

"  Well,  if  what  you  say  is  true  I've  been 
swindled,"  declared  the  storekeeper  finally.  *'  I'd 
like  to  get  my  hands  on  that  young  man." 

"  You  wouldn't  like  it  any  better  than  I  would," 
returned  Dave,  grimly.  "  You  see,  I  don't  know 
how  far  this  thing  extends.  Mr.  Weeks  has  been 
after  me  to  pay  for  some  shoes  that  I  never  got." 

"  Say,  that  moving-picture  actor  must  be  a 
lulu  I  "  declared  the  storekeeper's  clerk,  slangily. 
"  If  you  don't  watch  out,  Porter,  he'll  get  you 
into  all  kinds  of  hot  water." 

"  I  think  the  best  you  can  do,  Dave,  is  to  notify 
the  storekeepers  you  do  business  with  to  be  on 

S3 


54   DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

the  lookout  for  Porton,"  suggested  Roger. 
"  Then,  if  he  shows  up  again,  they  can  have  him 
held  until  you  arrive." 

"  I'll  certainly  have  to  do  something,"  an- 
swered Dave. 

*'  Then  I  suppose  you  don't  want  to  settle  that 
bill?"  came  from  Asa  Dickley,  wistfully. 

"  No,  sir.  And  I  don't  think  you  ought  to 
expect  it." 

"  Well,  I  don't  know.  The  fellow  who  got 
those  goods  said  he  was  Dave  Porter,"  vouch- 
safed the  storekeeper  doggedly. 

From  Asa  Dickley's  establishment  Dave,  ac- 
companied by  his  chum,  drove  around  to  the  store 
kept  by  Mr.  Weeks.  He  found  the  curtains  still 
down,  but  the  shoe-dealer  had  just  come  in,  and 
was  at  his  desk  writing  letters. 

"  And  you  mean  to  say  you  didn't  get  those 
shoes?"  questioned  Mr.  Weeks  with  interest, 
after  Dave  had  explained  the  situation.  "  That's 
mighty  curious.  I  never  had  a  thing  like  that 
happen  before."  He  knew  our  hero  well,  and 
trusted  Dave  implicitly.  "  I  shouldn't  have  sent 
that  letter  only  I  had  a  chance  to  sell  a  pair  of 
shoes  that  size,  and  I  thought  if  you  had  made 
your  selection  I  could  sell  the  pair  you  didn't 
want  to  the  other  fellow." 

Once  again  the  two  boys  had  to  tell  all  about 
Ward  Porton  and  what  that  young  rascal  was 


MORE  TROUBLE  55 

supposed  to  be  doing.  As  they  proceeded  Mr. 
Wecks's  face  took  on  a  look  of  added  intelligence. 

"Exactly I  Exactly!  That  fits  in  with  what 
I  thought  when  that  fellow  went  off  with  the 
shoes,"  he  declared  finally.  "  I  said  to  myself, 
'  Somehow  Dave  Porter  looks  different  to-day. 
He  must  have  had  a  spell  of  sickness  or  some- 
thing.' That  other  chap  was  a  bit  thinner  and 
paler  than  you  are." 

"  He's  a  regular  cigarette  fiend,  and  that  is,  I 
think,  what  makes  him  look  pale,"  put  in  Roger. 
And  then  he  added  quickly :  "  Do  you  remember 
—  was  he  smoking?" 

"  Yes,  he  was.  He  threw  a  cigarette  stub  away 
while  he  was  trying  on  the  shoes,  and  then  lit  an- 
other cigarette  when  he  was  going  out.  I  thought 
at  the  time  that  he  was  probably  smoking  more 
than  was  good  for  him." 

"  I  don't  smoke  at  all,  and  never  have  done 
so,"  said  Dave.  He  turned  to  his  chum.  "  I 
think  the  fact  that  the  fellow  who  got  the  shoes 
was  smoking  is  additional  proof  that  it  was  Por- 
ton." 

*'  I  haven't  the  slightest  idea  that  It  was  any- 
body else,"  answered  the  senator's  son. 

Mr.  Weeks  promised  to  keep  on  the  lookout 
for  Ward  Porton,  in  case  that  individual  showed 
himself  again,  and  then  Dave  and  Roger  left. 

"  I'm  going  into  all  the  stores  where  I  do  busi- 


56   DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

ness  and  tell  the  folks  to  be  on  the  watch  for  Ward 
Porton,"  said  our  hero. 

"  A  good  idea,  Dave.  But  see  here  I  How 
are  they  going  to  tell  him  from  you?"  and  the 
senator's  son  chuckled.  "  You  may  come  along 
some  day  and  they  may  hold  you,  thinking  you  are 
Porton." 

"  I  thought  of  that,  Roger,  and  I'll  leave  each 
of  them  my  signature  on  a  card.  I  know  that 
Ward  Porton  doesn't  write  as  I  do." 

This  idea  was  followed  out,  the  boys  spending 
the  best  part  of  an  hour  in  going  around  Coburn- 
town.  Then  they  drove  back  to  Crumville,  and 
there  Dave  visited  some  other  establishments  with 
which  he  was  in  the  habit  of  doing  business. 

All  the  storekeepers  were  much  interested  in 
what  he  had  to  tell,  and  all  readily  agreed  to  have 
Ward  Porton  detained  if  he  should  show  himself. 
At  each  place  Dave  left  his  signature,  so  that  there 
might  be  no  further  mistake  regarding  his  iden- 
tity. 

After  that  several  days  passed  quietly.  Both 
Dave  and  Roger  were  applying  themselves  to 
their  studies,  and  as  a  consequence  saw  little  of 
Ben  except  in  the  evenings,  when  all  the  young 
folks  would  get  together  for  more  or  less  of  a 
good  time. 

"  Any  more  news  about  that  fortune  in  Chi- 


MORE  TROUBLE  57 

cago  ?  "  asked  Dave,  one  evening  of  the  Basswood 
lad. 

"  Not  very  much,"  answered  Ben.  **  Father 
telegraphed  that  he  was  hunting  for  some  things 
that  belonged  to  Mr.  Enos.  He  said  that  as  soon 
as  he  found  them  he  would  tell  us  all  about  it." 

"  That  certainly  is  a  strange  state  of  affairs." 

"Strange?  I  should  say  it  was!"  cried  the 
other.  "  Mother  and  I  are  just  dying  to  know 
what  it  all  means.  One  thing  is  certain  —  Mr. 
Enos  did  not  leave  his  fortune  in  stocks  or  bonds 
or  real  estate,  or  anything  like  that." 

On  the  following  day  came  additional  trouble 
for  Dave  in  the  shape  of  a  communication  from 
a  hotel-keeper  in  Coburntown.  He  stated  that 
he  had  heard  through  Asa  Dickley  that  Dave  was 
having  trouble  with  a  party  who  was  impersonat- 
ing him,  and  added  that  a  person  calling  himself 
Dave  Porter  was  owing  him  a  bill  of  fifteen  dol- 
lars for  five  days'  board. 

"Isn't  this  the  limit?"  cried  Dave,  as  he 
showed  the  letter  to  his  father  and  his  Uncle 
Dunston. 

"  No  use  in  talking,  Dave,  we'll  have  to  get 
after  that  rascal,"  announced  the  father.  "  If 
we  don't,  there  is  no  telling  how  far  he'll  carry  this 
thing.  I  think  I'll  put  the  authorities  on  his 
track." 


58   DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

Two  days  after  that,  and  while  Dave  was  con- 
tinuing his  studies  as  diligently  as  ever,  came  word 
over  the  telephone  from  Clayton. 

"Is  this  you,  Dave  Porter?"  came  over  the 
wire. 

"  Yes,"  answered  our  hero.     *'  Who  are  you?  " 

"  This  is  Nat  Poole  talking.  I  am  up  here  in 
Clayton  —  in  the  First  National  Bank.  You 
know  my  father  got  me  a  job  here  last  week." 

"  No,  I  didn't  know  it,  Nat.  But  I'm  glad  to 
hear  you  have  something  to  do,  and  I  hope  you'll 
make  a  success  of  it,"  returned  Dave  promptly. 

"  I  called  you  up  to  find  out  if  you  were  in 
Clayton,"  continued  the  son  of  the  money  lender. 
"  I  wanted  to  make  sure  of  it." 

"  Well,  I'm  not.  I'm  right  here  at  home, 
Nat." 

"  Then,  in  that  case,  I  want  to  tell  you  that 
the  fellow  who  looks  like  you  is  here." 

"  Where  do  you  mean  —  in  the  bank?  " 

"  Well,  he  came  in  here  to  get  a  five-dollar  bill 
changed.  I  happened  to  see  him  as  he  was  go- 
ing out  and  I  called  to  him,  thinking  it  was  you. 
When  I  called  he  seemed  to  get  scared,  and  he 
got  out  in  a  hurry.  Then  I  happened  to  think 
about  that  fellow  who  looked  like  you,  and  I  made 
up  my  mind  I'd  call  you  up." 

"How  long  ago  since  he  was  in  the  bank?" 
questioned  Dave,  eagerly. 


MORE  TROUBLE  59 

"  Not  more  than  ten  minutes  ago.  I  tried  to 
get  you  sooner  but  the  wire  was  busy." 

"  You  haven't  any  idea  where  he  went?  " 

"  No,  except  that  he  started  down  the  side  street 
next  to  the  bank,  which,  as  maybe  you  know,  runs 
towards  the  river." 

"  All  right,  Nat.  Thank  you  very  much  for 
what  you've  told  me.  I  want  to  locate  that  fellow 
if  I  possibly  can.  He  is  a  swindler,  and  if  you 
clap  eyes  on  him  again  have  him  arrested,"  added 
Dave;  and  this  Nat  Poole  promised  to  do. 

The  news  over  the  wire  excited  Dave  not  a  lit- 
tle. Of  the  men  of  the  household,  only  old  Pro- 
fessor Potts  was  in,  and  he,  of  course,  could  not 
assist  in  the  matter.  Dave  at  once  sought  out 
Mrs.  Wadsworth  and  told  her  of  what  he  had 
heard. 

"  I  think  I'll  drive  to  Clayton  and  see  if  I  can 
locate  Porton,"  he  added.  "  Roger  says  he  will 
go  with  me." 

"  Do  as  you  think  best,  Dave,"  answered  the 
lady  of  the  house.  "  But  do  keep  out  of  trouble  I 
This  Ward  Porton  may  prove  to  be  a  dangerous 
character  if  you  attempt  to  corner  him." 

"  I  think  Roger  and  I  can  manage  him,  if  only 
we  can  find  him,"  returned  the  youth. 

Once  more  the  black  horse  and  the  cutter  were 
brought  into  service,  and  the  two  youths  made  the 
best  possible  time  on  the  snowy  highway  that 


6o   DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

led  through  Coburntown  to  Clayton.  Arriving 
there,  they  called  at  the  bank  and  interviewed 
Nat  Poole. 

"  If  what  you  say  about  Porton  is  true  he  cer- 
tainly must  be  a  bad  one  —  almost  as  bad  as  Mer- 
well  and  Jasniff,"  was  the  comment  of  the  money 
lender's  son.  "  I  certainly  hope  you  spot  him  and 
bring  him  to  book.  That's  the  way  he  went  the 
last  I  saw  of  him,"  he  added,  pointing  down  the 
side  street. 

Dave  and  Roger  drove  down  the  street  looking 
to  the  right  and  the  left  for  a  possible  sight  of 
Ward  Porton.  But  their  search  was  doomed  to 
disappointment  for  the  moving-picture  actor  was 
nowhere  to  be  seen. 

"  It's  a  good  deal  like  looking  for  a  needle  in  a 
haystack,"  was  the  comment  of  the  senator's  son, 
after  a  full  hour  had  been  spent  in  the  hunt. 

They  had  left  the  sleigh  and  had  walked 
around  a  number  of  mills  and  tenement  houses 
which  were  situated  in  that  locality. 

"  I've  got  an  idea,"  said  Dave,  as  several  chil- 
dren approached  them.  "  I'm  going  to  ask  the 
youngsters  if  they've  seen  a  young  man  who  looks 
like  me." 

The  first  boys  and  girls  to  whom  the  subject 
was  broached  shook  their  heads  and  declared  they 
had  seen  nobody  that  resembled  Dave.  Then 
our  hero  and  his  chum  passed  on  to  other  children, 


MORE  TROUBLE  6i 

and  finally  to  some  men  working  around  a  newly- 
constructed  tenement. 

"  Why  sure !  I  saw  a  young  feller  wot  looked 
like  you,"  said  a  youth  who  was  piling  up  some 
lumber.  "  He  ast  me  fer  a  match.  Say  I  he 
looked  like  he  could  have  been  your  twin,"  he 
added  in  wonder;  and  then  continued  suddenly: 
"  Maybe  youse  is  playin'  a  trick  on  me,  and  it  was 
youse  got  the  match  ?  " 

"  No,  I  never  met  you  before,"  answered  Dave, 
quickly.  "  When  did  you  meet  the  other  fellow, 
and  where?     I  am  very  anxious  to  locate  him." 

"  It  was  down  on  de  bridge,  about  an  hour  ago. 
I  was  comin'  dis  way,  and  he  was  goin'  de  udder 
way." 

"  Was  he  smoking  a  cigarette?  "  asked  Roger. 

"  He  had  one  o'  de  coffin-nails  in  his  hand  and 
he  lit  up  after  I  given  him  de  match." 

"  Did  he  say  anything?  "  questioned  our  hero. 

The  carpenter's  helper  scratched  his  head  for 
a  moment.  "  Sure  he  did !  He  ast  me  if  it  was 
putty  good  walkin'  to  Bixter.  I  told  him  *  putty 
fair,'  and  den  he  went  on  and  I  came  here." 

"  Then  he  must  have  gone  on  to  Bixter  I  "  cried 
Roger.     "  How  far  is  that  from  here?  " 

"  About  two  miles  and  a  half,"  answered  Dave. 
He  turned  to  the  carpenter's  helper.  "  Much 
obliged  to  you." 

"  Dat's  all  right.     Say  1  but  dat  guy  certainly 


62   DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

looks  like  you,"  the  carpenter's  helper  added, 
with  a  grin. 

"  Come,  we'll  follow  him,"  said  Dave  to  his 
chum,  and  led  the  way  on  the  run  to  where  the 
horse  was  tied. 

Soon  they  were  in  the  cutter  once  more.  Dave 
urged  the  black  along  at  his  best  speed,  and  over 
the  bridge  they  flew,  and  then  along  the  road  lead- 
ing to  the  village  of  Bixter. 


CHAPTER  VII 

FACE   TO   FACE 

"  If  you  catch  Porton,  Dave,  what  will  you  do 
—  turn  him  over  to  the  authorities?  " 

"Yes,  Roger." 

"  Is  Bixter  much  of  a  place?  " 

"  Oh,  no.  There  are  but  two  stores  and  two 
churches  and  not  over  thirty  or  forty  houses." 

"  Then  you  may  have  some  trouble  In  finding 
an  officer.  Probably  the  village  doesn't  boast  of 
anything  more  than  a  constable  and  a  Justice  of 
the  Peace." 

"  I  am  not  worrying  about  that  yet,  Roger,"  re- 
turned our  hero,  grimly.  "  We  have  got  to  catch 
Porton  first." 

"  Oh,  I  know  that.  But  if  he  started  for  Bix- 
ter on  foot  we  ought  to  be  able  to  locate  him.  A 
stranger  can't  go  through  such  a  small  place  with- 
out somebody's  noticing  it." 

On  and  on  trotted  the  horse,  past  many  well- 
kept  farms,  and  then  through  a  small  patch  of 
timber  land.  Beyond  the  woods  they  crossed  a 
frozen  creek,  and  then  made  a  turn  to  the  north- 
ward.    A  short  distance  beyond  they  came  In  sight 

63 


64   DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

of  the  first  houses  that  went  to  make  up  the  vil- 
lage of  Bixter. 

"  Well,  we've  not  seen  anything  of  him  yet," 
remarked  the  senator's  son,  as  they  slowed  up  and 
looked  ahead  and  to  both  sides  of  the  village 
street. 

"  No,  and  I  don't  understand  it,"  returned 
Dave.  *'  From  what  that  carpenter's  helper  said, 
I  thought  we  should  overtake  him  before  we  got 
to  Bixter.  Either  he  must  have  left  this  road, 
or  else  he  must  be  some  walker." 

"  I  don't  see  where  he  could  have  gone  if  he 
left  the  road,  Dave.  All  we  passed  were  lanes 
leading  to  the  farms,  and  a  path  through  that 
wood.  It  isn't  likely  he  would  take  to  the  woods 
in  this  cold  weather  —  not  unless  he  was  going 
hunting,  and  that  chap  back  in  Clayton  didn't  say 
anything  about  his  carrying  a  gun." 

With  the  horse  in  a  walk,  they  passed  down 
the  village  street  and  back  again.  As  they  did 
this  they  kept  their  eyes  wide  open,  peering  into 
the  various  yards  and  lanes  that  presented  them- 
selves. 

"  I'm  afraid  it's  no  use  unless  he"  is  in  one  of 
these  houses  or  in  one  of  the  stores,"  was  Roger's 
comment. 

"  I'll  ask  at  the  stores,"  returned  Dave. 

The  inquiries  he  and  his  chum  made  were 
productive  of  no  results  so  far  as  locating  Ward 


FACE  TO  FACE  65 

Porton  was  concerned.  No  one  had  seen  or 
heard  of  the  former  moving  picture  actor. 

*'  All  the  strangers  we've  seen  to-day  was  a 
cigar  drummer,"  said  one  of  the  shopkeepers. 
"And  he  was  a  fat  man  and  about  forty  years 
old."  The  other  storekeeper  had  had  no 
strangers  In  his  place. 

Hardly  knowing  what  to  do  next,  Dave  and 
Roger  returned  to  the  cutter. 

"  Maybe  he  went  farther  than  this,"  suggested 
Roger.  "  We  might  go  on  a  mile  or  two  and  take 
a  look." 

Now  that  they  had  come  so  far,  Dave  thought 
this  a  good  Idea,  and  so  they  passed  on  for  a  dis- 
tance of  nearly  two  miles  beyond  Blxter.  Here 
the  sleighing  became  poor,  there  being  but  few 
farmhouses  In  that  vicinity. 

"  It's  no  use,"  said  Dave,  finally.  "  We'll  go 
back  to  Blxter,  take  another  look  around,  and 
then  return  to  Clayton  and  home." 

When  they  arrived  once  more  at  the  village 
Dave  suggested  that  he  and  his  chum  separate. 

"  There  are  a  number  of  these  lanes  that  lead 
to  some  back  roads,"  said  Dave.  "  Perhaps  if 
we  tramp  around  on  foot  and  ask  some  of  the  coun- 
try folks  living  around  here  we  may  get  on  the 
track  of  the  fellow  we  are  after." 

The  senator's  son  was  willing,  and  he  was  soon 
walking  down  a  lane  leading  to  the  right  while 


66   DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

Dave  went  off  to  the  left.  Presently  Dave  came 
to  a  barn  where  a  farmer  was  mending  some 
broken  harness. 

"Hello!  Back  again,  are  you?"  cried  the 
farmer,  as  he  looked  at  Dave  curiously.  "  What 
brought  you  ?  Why  didn't  you  stop  when  I  called 
to  you  before?  " 

"  I  guess  you're  just  the  man  I  want  to  see," 
cried  Dave,  quickly.  And  then,  as  the  farmer 
looked  at  him  in  increasing  wonder,  he  added: 
"  Did  a  young  man  who  looks  very  much  like  me 
go  past  here  to-day?  " 

"Look  like  you?"  queried  the  farmer. 
*'  Why,  it  was  you,  wasn't  It?  " 

"  No.  It  must  have  been  a  fellow  who  re- 
sembles me  very  closely.  I  am  trying  to  catch 
him." 

"  Well,  I  swan!  "  murmured  the  farmer,  look- 
ing at  Dave  critically.  "  That  other  feller 
looked  as  much  like  you  as  could  be.  Wot  is  he 
—  your  twin  brother?" 

"  I  am  thankful  to  say  he  is  no  relative  of  mine. 
He  is  a  swindler,  and  that  is  why  I  would  like  to 
catch  him.  He  has  been  getting  goods  in  my 
name.  If  he  went  past  here  perhaps  you  can  tell 
me  where  he  has  gone?  " 

"  He  walked  past  here  less  than  fifteen  minutes 
ago.  He  went  down  that  lane,  which  is  a  short 
cut  to  the  road  to  Barnett." 


FACE  TO  FACE  67 

"  Barnett !  "  cried  our  hero.  **  That's  the  rail- 
road station  up  this  way,  isn't  it?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  Then  he  must  be  heading  for  a  railroad 
train  I"  exclaimed  Dave,  quickly.  "How  far  is 
it  from  here?  " 

"  Barnett  is  three  miles  by  the  road,  but  it's 
less  than  a  mile  and  a  quarter  by  that  short  cu^ 
through  Gerry's  Woods." 

"  Then  I'll  go  after  him  by  that  short  cut,"  an- 
swered Dave.  He  thought  for  a  moment.  To 
hunt  up  Roger  and  get  him  to  go  along  might  take 
too  long.  He  looked  at  the  farmer.  "  Would 
you  like  to  go  with  me  ?  I'll  make  it  worth  your 
while,"  he  continued.     , 

"  Sorry,  but  I  can't  do  it,"  was  the  reply. 
"  I've  got  to  meet  the  man  who  buys  my  milk 
down  town  in  about  fifteen  minutes.  He's  a  very 
particular  customer,  and  if  I  should  fail  him  he 
might  get  mad.     So  I  can't  go." 

"  All  right,  I'll  go  after  him  alone,"  answered 
our  hero;  and  then  continued:  "  If  you  are  go- 
ing down  town,  and  you  chance  to  see  a  friend  of 
mine  with  my  black  horse  and  cutter,  will  you 
kindly  tell  him  where  I  have  gone?  " 

"Sure,  I  will;"  and  with  this  promise  from 
the  farmer  Dave  started  on  a  swift  walk  along 
the  short  cut  to  Barnett  which  the  other  had 
pointed  out. 


68   DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

Fortunately  for  the  youth,  to  keep  his  feet 
warm  while  riding  he  had  donned  a  heavy  pair  of 
rubbers,  so  that  walking  through  the  rather  deep 
snow  of  the  path  leading  through  the  back  farms 
and  through  Gerry's  Woods  was  not  as  uncom- 
fortable as  it  might  otherwise  have  been.  To  be 
sure,  he  occasionally  found  himself  floundering  in 
snow  that  was  over  his  shoetops,  but  when  this 
happened  he  simply  smiled  grimly  and  made  the 
best  of  it.  When  at  Oak  Hall  he  had  often  taken 
part  in  track  athletics,  cross-country  running,  and 
occasionally  in  a  game  of  hare  and  hounds,  and 
consequently  his  wind  was  good  and  he  made 
rapid  progress  without  becoming  too  much  ex- 
hausted. 

He  was  in  the  depth  of  the  woods  when,  at  a 
turn  in  the  path,  he  saw  a  figure  ahead  of  him. 
The  individual  wore  a  heavy  overcoat  and  had  a 
cap  pulled  well  down  over  his  ears  and  the  back 
of  his  head. 

"  I  may  be  mistaken,  but  that  looks  as  if  it 
might  be  Porton,"  said  Dave  to  himself.  "  How- 
ever, I'll  soon  know;  "  and  he  increased  his  speed 
so  that  he  might  catch  up  to  the  other  walker. 

As  the  ground  was  covered  with  snow  our  hero 
made  but  slight  noise  while  he  advanced,  and  as 
a  consequence  he  drew  quite  close  to  the  other  in- 
dividual before  the  latter  was  aware  of  his  pres- 
ence. 


FACE  TO  FACE  69 

"  HI  there  I  "  called  out  Dave,  when  he  was 
but  a  few  feet  behind.  The  fellow  had  stopped 
and  turned  around,  and  a  single  glance  showed 
our  hero  that  it  was  the  youth  he  was  seeking. 

"  Dave  Porter  I  "  muttered  Ward  Porton,  as 
he  recognized  our  hero.  His  manner  showed  that 
he  was  much  astonished,  as  well  as  chagrined,  at 
this  unexpected  meeting. 

"  You  didn't  expect  to  meet  me  out  here,  did 
you?"  remarked  Dave,  sharply,  as  he  came  up 
alongside  the  former  moving-picture  actor. 

"  Why  —  I  —  er  —  I  —  can't  —  can't  say  that 
I  did,"  returned  Porton,  lamely. 

"  You've  been  acting  In  a  fine  way,  haven't  you, 
Porton?  "  went  on  Dave,  angrily. 

"Huh!  What  have  I  done?"  Porton's 
gaze  was  shifty.  He  did  not  dare  to  look  our 
hero  In  the  eyes. 

"  You  know  well  enough  what  you've  done, 
Porton  —  buying  a  whole  lot  of  goods  In  my 
name.'* 

"What  are  you  talking  about?  I  didn't  do 
any  such  thing  I  "  was  the  blustering  reply.  The 
former  moving-picture  actor  was  recovering  from 
his  surprise. 

"  I  can  prove  that  you  did ;  and  I'm  going  to 
hold  you  responsible  for  it,"  answered  Dave, 
calmly. 

"  Look  here,   Porter,  I  don't  want  any  such 


70   DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

talk  from  you !  "  and  now  Ward  Porton  doubled 
up  his  fists  and  stuck  out  his  chin.  "  I've  stood 
all  I  am  going  to  stand  from  you.  I  want  you  to 
leave  me  alone." 

"  Porton,  you  can  bluster  all  you  please,  but 
it  won't  do  you  any  good,"  answered  Dave,  and 
his  voice  had  a  more  positive  ring  to  it  than  be- 
fore. "  You  thought  you  could  play  this  trick 
on  me  and  get  away  with  it,  but  I  am  going  to 
show  you  it  can't  be  done.  I  am  going  to  hand 
you  over  to  the  authorities  and  see  that  you  go 
to  jail." 

"  If  you  think  you  can  do  that.  Porter,  you've 
got  another  guess  coming.  You  clear  out  and  let 
me  alone  or  I'll  make  it  hot  for  you;  "  and  Ward 
Porton  shook  his  fist  in  Dave's  face. 

The  manner  of  the  young  man  who  had  been 
obtaining  goods  in  Dave's  name  was  so  aggressive 
that  many  a  youth  would  have  been  intimidated 
and  Inclined  to  withdraw.  But  that  was  not  our 
hero's  way.  He  was  righteously  indignant,  not 
only  because  of  what  the  rascal  before  him  had 
done,  but  also  because  of  his  present  threat. 
Without  more  ado  he  seized  hold  of  Porton's  up- 
raised arm  and  backed  the  fellow  against  a  tree. 

"  Now,  you  just  listen  to  me,"  he  said  sternly. 
"  Your  bluff  and  bluster  won't  do  you  any  good. 
I  am  going  to  hand  you  over  to  the  authorities, 
and  that  is  all  there  is  to  it.     You've  got  to  be- 


Hb  sbizbd  Portom's  upraised  arm  and  backed  the  fellow 
AGAINST  a  tree. — Page  70. 


FACE  TO  FACE  71 

have  yourself  and  stop  threatening  me,  or  I'll 
give  you  something  that  you  won't  want." 

*'  You  imp,  you !  Let  go  of  me !  "  roared  Por- 
ton,  and,  bringing  around  his  disengaged  hand, 
he  struck  Dave  a  glancing  blow  on  the  chin. 

If  anything  more  was  needed  to  arouse  our 
hero's  just  ire,  this  blow  proved  more  than  suf- 
ficient. As  much  anger  as  he  had  ever  felt  in  his 
life  surged  up  in  Dave's  heart.  He  drew  back, 
letting  go  his  hold  —  and  the  next  instant  his  fist 
shot  out  and  landed  straight  on  Ward  Porton's 
nose. 

"Ouch I"  spluttered  the  former  moving-pic- 
ture actor,  and  not  without  reason,  for  the  sting- 
ing blow  our  hero  had  delivered  not  only  hurt  ex- 
ceedingly, but  also  caused  the  blood  to  flow. 

"  Now  will  you  behave  yourself  and  come  with 
me,  or  do  you  want  some  more  ?  "  demanded 
Dave. 

"  I'll  fix  you  for  that!  Just  wait!  "  bellowed 
Porton;  and  then  he  made  a  savage  rush  at  our 
hero. 

The  next  instant  they  were  locked  in  each 
other's  arms  and  swaying  from  side  to  side,  each 
doing  his  utmost  to  gain  the  mastery. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

THE  BASSWOOD  FORTUNE 

Over  and  over  in  the  snow  of  the  woods  rolled 
Dave  and  Porton,  first  one  being  on  top  and  then 
the  other.  Each  was  encumbered  by  his  heavy 
overcoat  and  his  gloves,  so  that  to  send  in  a  de- 
cisive blow  was  practically  impossible. 

[The  former  moving-picture  actor  fought  des- 
perately, for  he  had  no  desire  to  go  to  jail,  and 
he  realized  that  Dave  meant  to  send  him  to  such 
a  place  if  he  could  possibly  accomplish  it. 

Dave,  on  his  part,  was  angered  through  and 
through,  not  only  because  of  what  Porton  had 
done  at  the  stores,  but  also  because  of  the  way 
the  former  moving-picture  actor  had  threatened 
him. 

The  encounter  had  occurred  at  a  spot  where 
the  trees  were  somewhat  scattered  and  where 
rocks  were  numerous.  As  the  two  continued 
their  struggle  they  sent  the  loose  snow  flying  in 
all  directions  and  often  struck  on  some  of  the 
rocks. 

At  last  Dave  managed  to  get  his  opponent  by 
the  throat,  and  he  forced  Porton's  head  backward 

72 


THE  BASSWOOD  FORTUNE  73 

against  a  large  stone.  In  the  meantime,  however, 
the  rascal  managed  to  double  up  one  of  his  legs, 
and  he  gave  Dave  a  shove  in  the  stomach  which 
sent  him  rolling  over  on  his  side. 

"  Now  I'll  fix  you  I  "  panted  Porton,  and,  re- 
leasing his  right  hand,  he  picked  up  a  loose  stone 
which  their  scuffle  had  exposed  to  view.  The 
next  instant  he  brought  the  stone  up,  hitting  our 
hero  on  the  side  of  the  head.  It  was  a  furious 
blow,  and  for  the  moment  Dave  was  stunned. 
He  let  go  of  the  other's  throat,  and  as  he  did  this 
Ward  Porton  arose  to  his  feet. 

"  Now  I  guess  you'll  let  me  alone  I  "  he  snarled; 
and  aimed  a  vicious  kick  at  Dave's  head.  But 
the  youth,  even  though  somewhat  bewildered,  had 
sense  enough  left  to  dodge,  and  the  blow  landed 
on  his  shoulder. 

Then  Porton  turned  and  dashed  wildly  along 
the  woods  path  leading  in  the  direction  of  Barnett. 

It  took  our  hero  several  seconds  to  collect  him- 
self sufficiently  to  arise.  His  ear  was  ringing 
from  the  contact  with  the  stone,  which  fortunately 
had  been  a  smooth  one,  and  his  shoulder  also 
ached,  even  though  the  kick  had  been  delivered 
through  the  padding  of  his  overcoat. 

He  gazed  along  the  path,  and  was  just  In  time 
to  see  Porton  disappearing  around  a  bend. 

If  Dave  had  been  thoroughly  angry  before,  he 
was  now  even  more  so;  and,  shaking  his  head  to 


74   DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

clear  his  brain,  he  started  on  a  run  after  the  fugi- 
tive. He  reached  the  turn  in  the  path  to  see 
Porton  emerging  from  the  woods  and  taking  to 
the  highway  leading  to  the  railroad  depot. 

*'  He  must  be  running  to  catch  a  train,"  thought 
our  hero.  "  And  if  that  is  so  I'll  have  to  hustle 
or  he'll  get  away." 

By  the  time  Dave  gained  the  highway  leading 
to  Barnett,  Ward  Porton  had  reached  the  vicinity 
of  the  first  of  the  houses  in  the  village.  Here  he 
paused  to  glance  back,  and,  seeing  his  pursuer, 
shook  his  fist  at  Dave.  Then  he  went  on  about 
fifty  yards  farther,  suddenly  turning  into  a  lane 
between  two  of  the  houses. 

"  He's  afraid  to  go  to  the  depot  for  fear  I'll 
get  after  him  before  a  train  comes  in,"  thought 
Dave.  "Well,  I'll  catch  him  anyway,  unless  he 
takes  to  the  woods." 

What  Dave  had  surmised  was  correct.  Ward 
Porton  had  thought  to  get  on  a  train  that  would 
stop  at  Barnett  inside  of  the  next  ten  minutes. 
Now,  however,  he  realized  that  to  go  to  the  depot 
and  hang  around  until  the  cars  took  their  depar- 
ture would  probably  mean  capture. 

"  Confound  the  luck  I  How  did  he  manage  to 
get  on  my  trail  so  quickly?  "  muttered  the  former 
moving-picture  actor  to  himself.  "  Now  I'll  have 
to  lay  low  and  do  my  best  to  sneak  off  to  some 
other  place.     I  wish  it  wasn't  so  cold.     When  I 


THE  BASSWOOD  FORTUNE  75 

stop  running  I'll  be  half  frozen.  But,  anyway, 
I  had  the  satisfaction  of  giving  him  one  in  the 
ear  with  that  rock  and  another  in  the  shoulder 
with  my  foot,"  and  he  smiled  grimly,  as  he  placed 
his  handkerchief  to  his  bleeding  nose. 

By  the  time  Dave  reached  the  lane  between  the 
houses,  Porton  was  nowhere  in  sight.  There 
were  a  number  of  footprints  in  the  snow,  and  fol- 
lowing these  Dave  passed  a  barn  and  some  cow- 
sheds. From  this  point  a  single  pair  of  foot- 
prints led  over  a  short  field  into  the  very  woods 
where  the  encounter  had  taken  place. 

"  He's  going  to  hide  in  the  woods,  sure 
enough,"  reasoned  our  hero.  "  Or  else  maybe 
he'll  try  to  get  back  to  Clayton,  or  Bixter." 

"  Hi!  What's  going  on  here?  "  cried  a  voice 
from  the  cow-shed,  and  a  man  showed  himself, 
followed  by  two  well-grown  boys. 

"  I'm  after  a  fellow  who  just  ran  across  that 
field  Into  the  woods,"  explained  Dave,  quickly. 
"  He's  a  thief.  I  want  to  catch  him  and  have 
him  locked  up." 

"Oh,  say!  I  thought  I  saw  somebody,"  ex- 
claimed one  of  the  boys.  *'  I  thought  it  might 
be  Tom  Jones  goin'  huntin'." 

In  as  few  words  as  possible  Dave  explained  the 
situation  to  the  farmer  and  his  two  sons,  and 
they  readily  agreed  to  accompany  him  into  the 
woods. 


76   DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

"  But  you'll  have  a  big  job  trying  to  locate  that 
chap  in  those  woods,"  was  the  farmer's  comment. 
"  The  growth  back  here  is  very  thick,  and  my  boys 
have  been  lost  in  it  more  than  once." 

"  Huh !  we  always  found  our  way  out  again," 
grumbled  the  older  of  the  sons,  who  did  not  like 
this  statement  on  his  parent's  part. 

"  Yes,  Billy,  but  the  woods  are  mighty  thick," 
returned  his  brother.  "  If  that  feller  don't  look 
out  he  may  get  lost  and  get  froze  to  death  to- 
night, unless  he  knows  enough  to  make  a  fire." 

It  was  easy  enough  to  follow  the  footprints  to 
the  edge  of  the  woods.  But  once  there,  the 
brushwood  and  rocks  were  so  thick  that  to  fol- 
low the  marks  one  would  have  had  to  have  the 
eyes  of  an  expert  trailer.  Dave  and  the  farmer, 
with  the  two  boys,  searched  around  for  the  best 
part  of  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  but  without  suc- 
cess. 

"  He*s  slipped  you,  I  guess,"  remarked  the 
farmer,  shaking  his  head.  "  I  thought  he 
would." 

"  Are  there  any  trails  running  through  the 
woods  in  this  vicinity?  " 

"  The  only  trail  I  know  of  is  the  one  running 
to  Bixtef.  There  is  a  woods  road  used  by  the 
lumbermen,  but  that  is  on  the  other  side  of  the 
railroad  tracks." 

The  struggle  with  Ward  Porton,  followed  by 


THE  BASSWOOD  FORTUNE  77 

the  run,  had  put  Dave  Into  quite  a  perspiration, 
and  in  the  depth  of  the  woods  he  found  it  ex- 
jceedingly  cold. 

"  I'll  have  to  keep  on  the  move  or  I  may  get  a 
chill,"  he  told  the  others,  after  another  look 
around.     "  I  guess  we  had  better  give  it  up." 

"  Goin'  to  offer  any  reward  for  capturin'  that 
feller?"  questioned  the  older  of  the  two  boys, 
when  the  four  were  on  their  way  back  to  the  cow- 
shed. 

"  Yes,  I'll  give  a  reward,"  answered  our  hero, 
promptly.  "  If  any  of  you  can  catch  him  and 
have  him  held  by  the  authorities  I'll  give  you  ten 
dollars." 

"Wow  I  Me  for  the  ten  dollars  I  "  cried  the 
youth.  "  But  say  I  how'U  I  know  that  feller  if  I 
do  find  him?  "  he  questioned  suddenly. 

"  That's  right,  Billy,  you  won't  want  to  hold 
the  wrong  man,"  put  in  the  father,  with  a  grin. 
"  If  you  did  that,  you  might  get  into  hot  water," 
and  he  chuckled. 

"  It  will  be  easy  to  recognize  him,"  answered 
Dave.  "  Just  take  a  good  look  at  me.  Well, 
unfortunately,  that  other  fellow  resembles  me  very 
closely.  In  fact,  that's  the  reason  I  want  to  catch 
him.  That's  how  he  got  those  goods  I  said  he 
had  stolen.  It's  virtually  stealing  to  get  goods 
in  such  an  underhand  manner." 

"  All  right,  I'll  know  the  feller  if  he  looks  like 


78       DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

you,"  said  Billy.  He  turned  to  his  younger 
brother.  "  Say,  Paul,  what  do  you  say  if  we  go 
into  the  woods  later  on  and  lay  low  for  that  fel- 
ler? Maybe  he'll  come  out  this  way  after  he 
thinks  the  way  is  clear." 

"  Sure,  I'll  go  with  you,"  declared  Paul.  "  If 
we  look  around  very  carefully  we  may  be  able  to 
pick  up  his  tracks  somewhere." 

It  must  be  admitted  that  Dave  felt  much  crest- 
fallen when  he  bade  good-bye  to  the  farmer  and 
his  sons,  after  having  left  them  his  name  and  ad- 
dress. 

The  farmer  had  offered  to  drive  him  back  to 
Bixter,  but  our  hero  had  stated  that  he  would 
rather  walk  and  take  the  short  cut  through  the 
woods.  When  he  arrived  at  the  village  he  found 
Roger  wondering  what  had  become  of  him. 

"Well,  did  you  catch  Porton?"  queried  the 
senator's  son. 

"  I  did  and  I  didn't,"  answered  Dave,  with  a 
grim  sort  of  smile.  And  he  related  the  particu- 
lars of  what  had  occurred. 

"  Great  hambones,  Dave  I  you  certainly  have 
had  an  experience ! "  was  Roger's  comment. 
"Let  me  look  at  that  ear.  I  declare  I  it's  quite 
swollen.  I  hope  it  didn't  hurt  anything  inside," 
he  added  anxiously. 

"  It  rings  and  aches  a  little,  Roger ;  but  I  don't 
think  it  is  seriously  hurt." 


THE  BASSWOOD  FORTUNE  79 

"  How  about  your  shoulder?  " 

"  That  feels  a  little  sore,  but  that's  all.  I'll 
soon  get  over  it." 

"And  to  think  you  got  so  close  to  capturing 
him  and  then  he  got  away  I  "  was  the  sad  comment 
of  the  senator's  son.  '*  It  does  beat  all  how  slip- 
pery some  of  those  rascals  are." 

"  I'm  living  in  hope  that  those  farmer  boys 
will  locate  Porton,"  said  Dave.  "  I  promised 
them  a  reward  of  ten  dollars  if  they  did  so. 
That's  a  lot  of  money  for  lads  living  around 
here." 

Now  that  he  had  rejoined  Roger,  and  had  got- 
ten partly  over  the  effects  of  his  encounter  with 
Porton,  Dave  was  rather  loath  to  give  up  the 
hunt.  They  managed  to  find  a  store  where  the 
proprietor  occasionally  furnished  lunches,  and 
there  procured  some  sandwiches  and  hot  choco- 
late. Then  they  drove  to  Barnett  by  the  regular 
highway,  and  there  took  another  look  around  for 
the  missing  evil-doer. 

"  The  boys  have  gone  down  to  the  woods  to 
look  for  him,"  announced  the  farmer  when  Dave 
called  on  him  once  more.  "  If  they  learn  any- 
thing I'll  let  you  know." 

That  evening  found  Dave  and  Roger  back  in 
Crumville,  where,  of  course,  they  had  to  relate 
the  details  of  what  had  happened. 

"  Oh,  Dave,  you  must  be  more  careful  I  "  cried 


8o   DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

Jessie,  after  he  had  told  of  the  encounter  in  the 
woods.  "  That  wicked  fellow  might  kill  you  I  "  and 
she  shuddered. 

"  Yes  indeed,  you  ought  to  be  careful,"  said 
Laura.  "  Why,  he  seems  to  be  almost  as  bad  as 
Merwell  and  Jasniff  were !  " 

"  So  he  is,  Laura.  And  if  I  ever  get  the  chance 
I'll  put  him  where  they  are  —  in  prison,"  an- 
swered the  brother  grimly. 

As  was  to  be  expected,  Dave  was  quite  worked 
up  over  what  had  occurred,  and  that  night  he  did 
not  sleep  very  well.  Both  his  father  and  his  sis- 
ter insisted  that  he  go  to  a  physician  and  have  his 
ear  examined. 

"  No  damage  done,  so  far  as  I  can  see,"  said 
the  doctor.  "  But  you  had  better  bathe  it  with 
witch-hazel  and  keep  it  warm  for  a  day  or  two." 

The  next  day  Dave  settled  down  to  his  studies 
as  well  as  he  was  able.  He  hoped  that  word 
might  come  in  that  Ward  Porton  had  been  cap- 
tured, but  in  this  he  was  disappointed. 

"  I  think  he'll  steer  clear  of  this  neighborhood, 
for  a  while  at  least,"  was  Mr.  Porter's  comment. 

*'  That's  just  my  idea,"  added  Dave's  Uncle 
Dunston.  "  He  must  know  that  a  great  many 
swindled  storekeepers  and  other  people  are  on  the 
watch  for  him." 

Dave  had  not  seen  Ben  Basswood  for  several 
days.     On  the  following  evening  the  son  of  the 


THE  BASSWOOD  FORTUNE  8i 

real  estate  dealer  came  hurrying  over  to  the  Wads- 
worth  mansion. 

"  We've  got  news  about  that  Mr.  Enos's 
estate  I  "  cried  Ben,  as  soon  as  he  met  Dave  and 
Roger.  "  It's  the  queerest  thing  you  ever  heard 
of.  Mother  doesn't  know  what  to  make  of  it, 
and  I  don't  know  what  to  make  of  it,  either." 

"  Well,  I  hope  it's  a  valuable  estate  if  it  is 
coming  to  your  father,"  said  the  senator's  son. 

"  I  don't  know  whether  it  is  valuable  or  not, 
and  neither  does  father.  He  says  in  his  telegram 
it  is  certainly  worth  several  thousand  dollars,  and 
he  doesn't  know  but  that  it  may  be  worth  a  hun- 
dred thousand  dollars  or  more." 

"  A  hundred  thousand  dollars !  "  cried  Laura, 
who  had  come  in  to  hear  what  Ben  had  to  tell. 
"  Oh,  Ben,  that  certainly  is  a  fortune  I  " 

"  Well,  what  does  it  consist  of?  "  queried  Dave. 
"  If  it  may  be  worth  all  the  way  from  two  or  three 
thousand  dollars  to  a  hundred  thousand  or  more. 
It  must  be  mining  stocks  or  something  like  that." 

"  No,  it  isn't  in  stocks  or  bonds  or  anything  like 
that." 

**  Then  what  in  the  world  does  the  estate  con- 
sist of?  "  questioned  our  hero. 

"  Miniatures,"  answered  Ben  Basswood,  sim- 
ply. 


CHAPTER  IX 

SOMETHING  ABOUT  MINIATURES 

"  Miniatures?"  came  from  all  of  Ben  Bass- 
wood's  listeners  in  a  chorus. 

"  Do  you  mean  those  little  paintings  that  are 
sometimes  so  valuable?  "  continued  Laura. 

"That's  it,"  answered  Ben.  "I  don't  know 
much  about  miniatures  myself,  but  as  soon  as 
mother  and  I  heard  about  this  queer  fortune  of 
ours  she  asked  the  minister.  You  know  he  is 
quite  interested  in  art,  and  he  told  her  that  most 
of  these  little  miniatures,  which  are  about  the 
size  of  a  silver  dollar  or  a  small  saucer,  are  usually 
painted  on  ivory.  Of  course,  some  of  them  are 
not  so  valuable,  but  others,  especially  those  painted 
by  celebrated  artists,  are  worth  thousands  of  dol- 
lars." 

"  And  how  many  of  these  miniatures  are  there, 
Ben?"  asked  Roger,  with  increased  curiosity. 

"  Father  didn't  know  exactly,  but  said  they 
would  number  at  least  fifty,  and  maybe  seventy- 
five." 

"  I  suppose  they  are  paintings  of  celebrated  in- 
82 


SOMETHING  ABOUT  MINIATURES      83 

dividuals  —  kings,  queens,  and  like  that?"  was 
Dave's  comment. 

"  No,  these  miniatures,  so  father  stated,  are 
made  up  almost  entirely  of  the  great  fighters  of 
the  world  —  army  and  navy  men,  lieutenant-gen- 
erals, admirals,  and  officers  like  that." 

"  Well,  where  in  the  world  did  this  Mr.  Enos 
get  money  enough  to  buy  such  things?"  asked 
Jessie,  who  had  followed  Laura  into  the  room. 

*'  That's  the  queer  part  of  it,"  answered  the 
real-estate  dealer's  son.  "  It  seems,  after  Mr. 
Enos  and  my  father  gave  up  business  and  sepa- 
rated, Enos  went  South  —  first  to  Texas  and  then 
into  Mexico.  There  he  joined  some  men  who 
were  opening  up  a  gold  mine.  These  men  struck 
it  rich,  and  almost  before  he  knew  it  Mr.  Enos 
was  worth  quite  a  lot  of  money.  He  had  never 
been  very  much  of  a  business  man  —  being 
wrapped  up  almost  entirely  in  art  —  and  so  he 
did  not  know  how  to  handle  his  money.  He  had 
always  had  a  liking  for  miniatures,  so  my  father 
stated,  and  he  went  in  to  gather  this  collection. 
He  didn't  want  any  kings  or  queens  or  noted  so- 
ciety women,  or  anything  like  that,  but  he  did  want 
every  miniature  ever  painted  of  an  army  or  a 
navy  fighter.  Of  course,  my  father  doesn't  know 
all  the  particulars  yet,  but  he  has  learned  that  Mr. 
Enos  put  himself  out  a  great  deal  to  get  hold  of 
certain  miniatures,  hunting  for  them  all  over  Eu- 


84   DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

rope  and  also  in  this  country.  He  even  went 
down  to  South  America  to  get  miniatures  of  some 
of  their  heroes,  and  also  picked  up  several  in 
Mexico,  and  one  or  two  in  Texas." 

"  His  hobby  must  certainly  have  had  a  strong 
hold  on  him,"  was  Dave's  comment.  "  But  still, 
that  sort  of  thing  isn't  unusual.  I  heard  once  of 
a  postage-stamp  collector  who  went  all  over  the 
world  collecting  stamps,  and  finally  gave  up  his 
last  dollar  for  a  rare  stamp  when  he  actually 
hadn't  enough  to  eat.  Of  course,  he  was  a  mono- 
maniac on  the  subject  of  stamp  collecting." 

"  Well,  my  father  has  an  idea  that  Mr.  Enos 
must  have  been  a  little  queer  over  his  miniature 
collecting,"  returned  Ben.  "  But  even  so,  the 
fact  remains  that  he  left  his  collection  of  minia- 
tures behind  him,  and  that  they  are  now  the  prop- 
erty of  my  father." 

"  And  what  is  your  father  going  to  do  with 
them?  "  questioned  Roger. 

"  He  doesn't  know  yet.  You  see,  the  settling 
of  the  estate  is  in  a  very  mixed-up  condition.  He 
is  going  to  stay  in  Chicago  for  a  week  or  so,  and 
then  he'll  probably  bring  the  miniatures  East  with 
him  and  have  some  art  expert  place  a  valuation 
on  them.  After  that  I  suppose  he'll  offer  the 
miniatures  for  sale  to  art  galleries  and  rich  col- 
lectors." 

This  was  about  all  Ben  could  tell  concerning  the 


SOMETHING  ABOUT  MINIATURES      85 

fortune  left  to  his  parent.  The  young  folks 
talked  the  matter  over  for  quite  a  while,  and  were 
presently  joined  by  the  older  people,  including 
Caspar  Potts. 

"Miniatures,  eh?"  said  the  genial  old  pro- 
fessor, beaming  mildly  on  Ben.  "  Very  curious! 
Very  curious  indeed !  But  some  of  them  are  won- 
derful works  of  art,  and  bring  very  good  prices. 
I  remember,  when  a  young  man,  attending  a  sale 
of  art  works,  and  a  miniature  of  one  of  the  Eng- 
lish nobility  was  knocked  down  for  a  very  large 
sum,  several  thousand  dollars  if  I  remember 
rightly." 

"  Well,  it's  very  fine  to  get  hold  of  a  fortune, 
no  matter  in  what  shape  it  is,"  observed  Mr. 
Wadsworth.  "  Just  the  same,  Ben,  I  think  your 
father  would  prefer  to  have  it  in  good  stocks  and 
bonds,"  and  he  smiled  faintly. 

"  No  doubt  of  that,  sir,"  was  the  prompt  an- 
swer. "  But,  as  you  say,  miniatures  are  much 
better  than  nothing.  In  fact,  I'd  rather  take  a 
fortune  in  soft  soap  than  not  get  It  at  all,"  and  at 
this  remark  there  was  a  general  laugh, 
r  "  Oh,  my  gracious,  Ben !  what  would  you  do 
I  with  a  hundred  thousand  dollars'  worth  of  soft 
soap?  "  queried  Laura,  slyly. 

"  Oh,  I'd  go  around  and  smooth  down  all  my 
friends  and  enemies  with  it,"  the  boy  returned,  and 
this  caused  another  laugh. 


86   DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

Several  more  days  passed,  and  during  that  time 
Dave  and  Roger  continued  to  devote  themselves 
to  their  studies.  Mr.  Ramsdell,  the  old  civil 
engineer,  was  on  hand  to  tutor  the  two  youths, 
and  he  declared  that  they  were  making  satisfac- 
tory progress,  and  that  he  thought  they  would 
pass  the  coming  examinations  without  much  trou- 
ble. 

*'  I  wish  I  felt  as  confident  about  it  as  Mr. 
Ramsdell  does,"  observed  our  hero  to  his  chum 
one  day. 

"  The  same  here,  Dave,"  returned  Roger. 
"  Every  time  I  think  of  that  examination  I  fairly 
shake  in  my  shoes.  Passing  at  Oak  Hall  wasn't 
a  patch  to  passing  as  a  civil  engineer." 

There  had  been  another  fall  of  snow,  and  now 
sleighing  was  even  better  than  before.  Jessie 
and  Laura  went  out  In  company  with  their  uncle, 
and  on  their  return  both  showed  some  excitement. 

"Oh,  Dave  —  Roger  —  what  do  you  think  I" 
cried  Laura.  "  IVe  got  a  letter  from  Belle  Endi- 
cott,  and  she  Is  coming  on  from  Star  Ranch  to 
spend  several  weeks  with  me,  and  she  is  going  to 
bring  along  one  of  her  old  school  chums,  Cora 
Dartmore.  What  do  you  think  of  that?  Won't 
It  be  fine?" 

"  It  certainly  will  be,  Laura,"  answered  her 
brother.  "  When  do  you  expect  them  to  ar- 
rive? " 


SOMETHING  ABOUT  MINIATURES      87 

"They  are  coming  on  immediately;  so  I  sup- 
pose they'll  be  here  in  a  day  or  two  if  they  are 
following  this  letter."  Laura  looked  inquiringly 
at  Dave.  "  What  a  pity  Phil  Lawrence  isn't 
here,"  she  half  whispered. 

Both  of  them  knew  that  during  the  visit  of  the 
young  folks  to  the  Endicott  ranch  the  shipowner's 
son  and  Belle  Endicott  had  become  exceedingly 
friendly. 

"  Well,  I've  Invited  Phil  to  come  here,"  an- 
swered Dave.  "  I  guess  all  I've  got  to  do  is  to 
mention  Belle  to  him  and  he'll  be  on  the  way  with- 
out delay." 

"  Then,  by  all  means,  send  him  word,"  re- 
turned the  sister.  "  Then  we  can  make  up  a  fine 
little  party,  for  we  can  pair  Cora  Dartmore  off 
with  Ben." 

A  letter  from  Dave  to  Phil  Lawrence  was 
dispatched  that  evening,  and  the  next  day  came  a 
telegram  from  the  shipowner's  son  stating  that 
he  would  come  on  that  night. 

"  I  knew  the  mention  of  Belle  would  fetch 
Phil,"  remarked  Dave  to  Roger,  when  they  were 
alone.  "  Phil  certainly  has  got  an  eye  on  that 
girl." 

"  Well,  you  can't  blame  him,  Dave.  Belle 
Endicott  is  a  splendid  girl  and  comes  from  a 
splendid  family.  I'll  never  forget  how  royally 
they  treated  us  when  we  were  at  Star  Ranch." 


88   DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

**  Yes,  we  certainly  did  have  one  grand  time, 
in  spite  of  what  Link  Merwell  did  to  annoy  us." 

"  Oh,  drop  Link  Merwell  I  "  Roger  paused 
for  a  moment  and  then  went  on :  "  Isn't  it  queer, 
Dave,  how  just  as  soon  as  you  get  rid  of  one  bad 
egg  like  Merwell  another  bobs  up  like  this  Ward 
Porton?" 

"  It  is  queer,  Roger."  Dave  heaved  a  deep 
sigh.  "  I  wish  I  could  get  on  the  track  of  that 
rascal." 

"  Haven't  heard  a  thing,  have  you?" 

"  No." 

"  Well,  you  can  be  thankful  that  he  hasn't  been 
around  buyihg  more  goods  in  your  name." 

"  Oh,  I  think  I  scared  him  pretty  well  when  I 
met  him  in  the  woods.  He'll  probably  lay  low 
for  a  while  —  at  least  until  he  thinks  the  field  is 
clear  again.  But  I'd  give  a  good  deal  if  I  never 
saw  or  heard  of  him  again,"  and  Dave  heaved 
another  sigh. 

The  next  day  the  local  paper  came  out  with  a 
big  article  on  the  front  page  speaking  about  the 
Basswood  fortune.  Mr.  Basswood  had  returned 
to  town,  and  had  been  interviewed  by  a  reporter, 
and  the  sheet  gave  many  of  the  particulars  regard- 
ing the  wonderful  miniatures  left  by  Mr.  Enos. 
According  to  the  paper  they  numbered  sixty-eight 
all  told,  and  were  worth  from  a  hundred  dollars 
to  five  thousand  dollars  apiece.     It  was  said  that 


SOMETHING  ABOUT  MINIATURES      89 

they  had  been  placed  in  a  safe  deposit  vault,  be- 
ing packed  in  several  plush-lined  cases. 

The  paper  went  on  to  state  that  Mr.  Basswood 
thought  something  of  bringing  them  to  Crum- 
ville,  where  they  might  be  judged  by  a  committee 
of  experts  in  order  to  ascertain  their  real  value. 
The  real-estate  dealer  was  spoken  of  as  a  man 
well-known  in  the  community,  and  the  article  con- 
cluded by  stating  that  all  the  good  people  of 
Crumville  and  vicinity  would  undoubtedly  con- 
gratulate him  on  his  good  fortune. 

"  They  certainly  piled  it  on  a  little  thick,"  was 
Dave's  comment,  after  he  and  Roger  had  read 
the  article.  "  Just  the  same,  I  agree  with  the 
paper  —  the  Basswoods  richly  deserve  the  for- 
tune that  has  come  to  them."  Dave  had  not  for- 
gotten those  days,  now  long  gone  by,  when  he 
had  been  a  boy  just  out  of  the  poorhouse  living 
with  Caspar  Potts,  and  how  Ben  Basswood  had 
been  his  one  young  friend  during  those  trying 
times. 

As  luck  would  have  It,  all  the  young  visitors 
bound  for  the  Wadsworth  mansion  reached 
Crumville  on  the  same  train.  Of  course,  the 
others  went  down  to  the  depot  to  meet  them,  and 
there  was  a  grand  jollification  lasting  several 
minutes. 

"  My,  Belle,  how  you  have  grown !  "  declared 
Laura,  after  the  numerous  kisses  and  handshakes 


90       DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

had  come  to  an  end.  "  Isn't  she  growing  tall, 
Dave?" 

"  She  certainly  is,"  returned  the  brother.  And 
what  they  said  was  true  —  Belle  Endicott  was  now 
tall  and  willowy,  and  exceedingly  pretty  to  look 
at, —  so  much  so  in  fact,  that  Phil  Lawrence  could 
hardly  take  his  eyes  from  her. 

"  It  was  mighty  good  of  your  folks  to  invite 
me  down,"  said  the  shipowner's  son,  when  the 
whole  crowd  was  making  its  way  over  to  where 
the  Wadsworth  automobile  and  sleigh  were  stand- 
ing.    "  I  appreciate  it,  I  assure  you." 

"  Oh,  my  I  you  don't  suppose  we  could  leave 
you  out,  Phil,  with  Belle  here,"  returned  Dave, 
as  he  gave  his  chum  a  nudge  in  the  ribs. 

"  Good  for  you,  Dave  I "  Phil  blushed  a  lit- 
tle, and  then  winked  one  eye.  "  How  are  mat- 
ters going  between  you  and  Jessie?  " 

"  Very  well." 

"  Glad  to  hear  it.  And  I  suppose  Roger  has 
that  same  old  eagle  eye  of  his  on  your  sister 
Laura?" 

"  V\^ell,  you  don't  find  him  talking  very  much 
to  anybody  else  when  Laura  is  around,"  was 
Dave's  dry  comment. 

"Oh,  we  had  a  perfectly  splendid  journey  I" 
cried  Belle  Endicott.  "  And  wasn't  it  the  strang- 
est thing  that  we  should  run  into  Phil  at  the 


SOMETHING  ABOUT  MINIATURES      91 

junction  where  we  had  to  change  cars  to  get 
here?" 

"  Must  be  some  sort  of  mutual  attraction," 
cried  Laura,  mischievously.  And  then  to  hide 
any  possible  confusion  she  added  quickly  to  Cora 
Dartmore:     "  I  hope  you  enjoyed  the  trip  also." 

"  Yes,  I  had  a  splendid  time,"  answered  the 
newcomer,  a  girl  not  quite  so  tall  as  Belle  but  al- 
most equally  good-looking.  "  You  see,  this  is 
my  first  trip  to  the  East.  Oh,  I  know  I  am  going 
to  have  a  perfectly  lovely  time  I  "  she  added  en- 
thusiastically. 

The  young  folks  piled  into  the  sleigh  and  auto- 
mobile, and  in  a  very  short  time  arrived  at  the 
Wadsworth  mansion.  Here  Mrs.  Wadsworth 
was  ready  to  receive  the  visitors,  and  her  gracious 
manner  made  them  feel  at  home  immediately. 

Phil,  as  was  his  custom,  insisted  on  rooming 
with  Roger  and  Dave,  while  Belle  Endicott  and 
her  chum  were  made  comfortable  in  a  room  next 
to  those  occupied  by  Jessie  and  Laura. 

"  I  don't  know  what  I'm  going  to  do  with  you 
boys,"  said  Mrs.  Wadsworth,  laughingly.  "  You 
always  bunk  in  as  thick  as  fleas." 

"  We  got  used  to  that  at  Oak  Hall,"  returned 
Dave.  "  Besides  that,  the  room  is  a  large  one 
with  two  single  beds  in  it,  and  we  can  easily  put 
in  a  cot ; "  and  so  it  was  settled. 


92   DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

"  My,  but  I'm  mighty  glad  to  be  with  you  two 
fellows  again  I  "  declared  the  shipowner's  son, 
when  the  youths  were  left  to  themselves.  "  It 
seems  like  a  touch  of  old  times." 

*'  So  it  does,"  returned  Roger,  smiling  broadly. 

"  From  now  on  I  suppose  we  won't  be  able  to 
get  together  as  much  as  we  used  to,"  said  Dave; 
"  so  while  we  are  together  let  us  make  the  most 
of  it." 

"  So  say  we  all  of  us  I  "  cried  Phil  and  Roger, 
gaily. 


CHAPTER  X 

THE  BIG  SLEIGHING-PARTY 

Of  course,  even  with  so  many  visitors  to  enter- 
tain, Dave  and  Roger  could  not  neglect  their 
studies ;  so  it  was  arranged  that  every  day  the  pair 
should  apply  themselves  diligently  to  their  books 
and  to  what  their  tutor  had  to  say  from  eight 
o'clock  until  twelve.  Then  lunch  would  be  had 
and  the  young  folks  could  start  out  to  enjoy  them- 
selves in  one  way  or  another. 

On  one  occasion  the  three  boys  went  hunting 
with  Dunston  Porter  in  the  woods  back  of  Crum- 
ville.  They  had  a  most  delightful  time,  and 
brought  back  quite  a  bagful  of  rabbits,  as  well  as 
several  squirrels,  and  also  a  plump  partridge,  the 
bird  being  brought  down  by  Dave. 

"  And  it  was  a  fine  shot,  Davy,"  remarked  his 
Uncle  Dunston  in  speaking  about  the  partridge. 
"  As  fine  a  shot  on  the  wing  as  I  ever  saw." 

Crumville  boasted  of  a  good-sized  pond;  and 
from  this  the  snow  had  been  cleared,  giving  the 
young  folks  an  opportunity  for  skating,  which 
eveiy  one  of  them  enjoyed  to  the  utmost.  They 
also  attended  a  concert  given  in  the  church  one 

93 


94   DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

evening,  and  even  went  to  a  moving-picture  show 
which  had  recently  been  opened  in  the  town. 

The  moving  pictures  interested  the  two  girls 
from  the  Far  West  more  than  anything  else,  for, 
so  far,  they  had  had  little  opportunity  to  take  in 
such  a  form  of  entertainment. 

During  those  days  Dave  was  continually  on  the 
watch  for  some  information  concerning  Ward 
Porton,  but  no  word  of  any  kind  came  in,  and  he 
finally  concluded  that  the  rascal  had  left  that  vic- 
inity. 

"  Most  likely  he  thought  things  were  growing 
too  hot  for  him,"  was  Phil's  comment,  when  the 
boys  talked  the  matter  over.  "  He  probably  real- 
ized that  if  he  continued  to  go  to  the  stores  and 
get  goods  the  way  he  did  he  would  be  caught 
sooner  or  later." 

Ben  Basswood  often  went  out  with  the  others, 
pairing  off,  as  had  been  expected  by  Laura,  with 
Cora  Dartmore.  This  left  Belle  Endicott  more 
or  less  in  Phil's  care,  for  which  the  shipowner's 
son  was  grateful. 

"  Yes,  my  father  has  brought  the  Enos  minia- 
tures here,"  answered  Ben,  one  day,  in  reply  to  a 
question  from  Dave.  "  He  had  them  in  a  safe 
deposit  vault  first,  but  he  concluded  that  they 
would  probably  be  just  as  safe  at  our  place.  You 
know,  he  has  a  big  safe  of  his  own  in  which  he 
keeps  all  his  real  estate  documents."     Mr.  Bass- 


THE  BIG  SLEIGHING-PARTY  95 

wood's  office  was  in  a  wing  of  his  house,  and  all 
the  boys  had  visited  it  and  knew  that  it  contained 
a  massive  steel  affair  about  five  feet  square  and 
probably  four  feet  deep. 

"  They  ought  to  be  safe  there,  Ben,"  returned 
Dave.  "  I  don't  see  what  a  thief  could  do  with 
miniatures,  and  I  don't  believe  your  father's  of- 
fice is  liable  to  catch  fire." 

"  And  that  safe  must  be  fire-proof,"  put  in 
Roger. 

"  I  think  it  is  fire-proof,"  returned  the  real 
estate  dealer's  son.  "  And  I  guess  you  are  right 
about  thieves  —  they  would  rather  steal  money 
or  jewelry  or  silverware,  or  something  like  that, 
every  time." 

Used  to  a  life  in  the  open  air,  and  to  riding  and 
driving,  the  sleighing  in  and  around  Crumville 
proved  to  be  a  constant  delight  to  Belle  and  Cora. 
As  a  consequence,  it  was  arranged  by  the  boys  that 
the  whole  crowd  should  go  out  in  a  large  sleigh, 
to  be  procured  from  the  local  livery  stable  and  to 
be  drawn  by  four  reliable  horses. 

"  We'll  put  a  lot  of  straw  in  the  bottom  of  the 
sleigh  and  make  it  a  sort  of  straw-ride,"  declared 
Dave. 

"  And  just  to  think !  it  will  be  moonlight  I  " 
cried  his  sister.     "  Won't  that  be  the  finest  ever !  " 

"  It  certainly  will  be  I  "  came  from  Jessie,  her 
eyes  beaming.     But  then  she  turned  suddenly  to 


96       DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

Dave,  her  face  clouding  a  little.  "  Who  is  go- 
ing to  drive  —  you  ?  " 

"  No,  we're  going  to  have  a  regular  man  from 
the  livery  stable,"  he  answered.  And  then  as  his 
sister  turned  away,  he  added  in  a  low  tone:  "  I 
didn't  want  to  spend  my  time  on  the  horses  —  I 
wanted  to  spend  it  on  you." 

"  Oh,  Dave!  "  murmured  the  girl,  and  blushed. 
Then  she  gave  him  a  look  that  meant  a  great  deal. 

The  sleighing-party  was  to  start  off  about  two 
o'clock  the  next  afternoon,  and  did  not  expect  to 
return  to  Crumville  until  well  towards  midnight. 
They  were  to  go  to  the  town  of  Lamont,  about 
seventeen  miles  away.  A  new  restaurant  had 
been  opened  in  this  town,  in  connection  with  the 
hotel,  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wadsworth  had  stopped 
there  for  a  meal  and  had  pronounced  it  excellent, 
the  food  being  of  first-class  quality  and  an  orches- 
tra being  present  to  liven  matters  up.  Ben  had 
thought  at  first  that  he  could  not  accompany  the 
others,  his  father  having  been  taken  sick;  but  as 
Mr.  Basswood's  illness  was  not  of  a  serious  na- 
ture, Mrs.  Basswood,  knowing  how  disappointed 
the  youth  would  be,  urged  that  he  go  along  any- 
how. 

"  Your  father  is  resting  quite  comfortably,"  she 
told  Ben ;  "  and  the  doctor  says  he  will  be  around 
again  Inside  of  a  week,  so  you  may  as  well  take  in 
this  slelghrlde  while  you  have  the  chance." 


THE  BIG  SLEIGHING-PARTY  97 

"  But  there  are  those  miniatures,  mother," 
returned  Ben.  "  Wasn't  father  going  to  let  Mr. 
Wadsworth  see  them?" 

"  Mr.  Wadsworth  is  going  to  have  several  art 
critics  at  his  home  in  a  day  or  two,  and  then  your 
father  is  to  let  all  of  them  examine  the  minia- 
tures carefully  to  see  if  he  can  get  an  idea  of  what 
they  are  worth.  But  you  need  not  bother  your 
head  about  that.  If  Mr.  Wadsworth  sends  word 
that  the  critics  have  arrived  at  his  house  I'll  take 
care  of  the  matter."  And  so  this  was  arranged, 
and  Ben  went  off  to  prepare  for  the  sleigh-ride. 

At  the  appointed  hour,  the  big  sleigh  came  dash- 
ing up  to  the  door  of  the  Wadsworth  mansion. 
All  of  the  young  folks,  including  Ben,  were  on 
hand  and  ready  for  the  trip,  each  bundled  up  well 
for  protection  against  the  cold.  The  sun  had 
been  shining  in  the  morning,  but  towards  noon  it 
had  gone  under  a  heavy  bank  of  clouds. 

"  Looks  a  little  to  me  like  more  snow,"  ob- 
served Dunston  Porter,  who  was  present  to  see 
them  depart.  "  I  shouldn't  be  surprised  to  see 
you  coming  back  in  the  midst  of  another  fall." 

"  Oh,  Uncle  Dunston,  don't  say  that  I  "  cried 
Laura.  "  We  want  the  moon  to  shine  this  even- 
mg. 

"  Well,  It  will  shine,  Laura,"  returned  the 
uncle,  with  a  wink  of  the  eye.  "  It  always  does 
shine,  even  when  we  don't  see  it,"  and  then  he 


98       DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

dodged  when  she  laughingly  picked  up  a  chunk 
of  snow  and  threw  it  at  him. 

Into  the  big  sleigh  piled  the  girls,  and  the  boys 
quickly  followed.  All  the  back  seats  had  been 
removed,  and  they  nestled  down  in  the  thick  straw 
and  covered  themselves  with  numerous  robes. 

"  Look  out  that  you  don't  jounce  off  when  you 
go  over  a  bump,"  cried  Dunston  Porter  to  Phil 
and  Belle,  who  sat  at  the  back  of  the  turnout. 

"  Oh,  we'll  hold  on,  don't  worry!  "  cried  Phil. 

"  I'm  used  to  hanging  on,"  came  from  the  west- 
ern girl,  quickly.  "  Riding  in  this  sleigh  won't  be 
half  as  bad  as  hanging  on  to  the  back  of  a  half- 
broken  broncho." 

"  X  guess  that's  right,  too,"  answered  Dave's 
uncle.  "  Just  the  same,  you  take  care.  I  don't 
want  you  young  folks  to  have  any  accidents  on  this 
trip." 

"  I  trust  you  all  have  a  good  time,"  came 
benevolently  from  old  Caspar  Potts,  as  he  gazed 
at  them  and  rubbed  his  hands.  "  My,  my !  how 
I  used  to  enjoy  sleighing  when  I  was  a  young  man ! 
And  how  many  years  ago  that  seems  I  "  he  added 
with  a  little  sigh. 

"  Don't  stay  any  later  than  midnight,"  warned 
Mrs.  Wadsworth. 

"  We'll  be  back  by  that  time  unless  something 
unusual  turns  up,"  returned  Dave.     He  turned  to 


THE  BIG  SLEIGHING-PARTY  99 

the  others  in  the  sleigh.  "  Everybody  fixed  and 
ready?" 

"  All  ready !  "  came  back  the  answering  cry. 

"  Then  we're  off."  Dave  turned  to  the  driver, 
a  middle-aged  colored  man.  "  Let  her  go, 
Wash." 

*'  Yassir,"  responded  Washington  Bones,  with 
a  grin.  "  Giddap !  "  he  called  to  his  horses. 
And  with  a  crack  of  the  whip  and  a  grand  flourish 
the  turnout  left  the  front  of  the  Wadsworth  man- 
sion and  whirled  out  on  to  the  broad  highway  lead- 
ing to  Lamont. 

The  four  horses  were  used  to  working  together, 
and  they  trotted  along  in  fine  style,  causing  many 
a  passer-by  to  stop  and  gaze  at  the  team  and  the 
gay  load  of  young  people  in  admiration.  The 
horses  were  well  equipped  with  bells,  and  each 
of  the  youths  had  provided  himself  with  a  good- 
sized  horn,  so  that  noise  was  not  lacking  as  they 
dashed  along  past  the  stores  and  houses  of  Crum- 
ville.  Then  they  came  out  on  the  Lamont  road, 
where  the  sleighing  was  almost  perfect. 

"  I  hope  we  don't  have  any  such  adventure  as 
we  had  at  Conover's  Hill,"  remarked  Jessie  to 
Dave  while  they  were  spinning  on  their  way. 

"  I  don't  think  these  livery  stable  horses  will 
run  away,"  he  returned.  "  They  are  used  every 
day,  and  that  makes  them  less  frisky  than  our 


loo     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

horses,  which  sometimes  are  in  the  stable  for  a 
week.  Besides  that,  Wash  Bones  is  one  of  the 
most  careful  drivers  around  here.  If  he  does 
anything,  he'll  let  the  team  hold  back  on  him 
rather  than  urge  them  to  do  their  best." 

On  and  on  flew  the  sleigh,  the  young  folks  chat- 
ting gaily  and  occasionally  bursting  out  into  a 
verse  of  song. 

"Let's  give  'em  our  old  Oak  Hall  songl  " 
cried  Dave,  presently. 

"  That's  it  I  "  came  eagerly  from  his  two  chums, 
and  a  moment  later  they  started  up  the  old  school 
song,  which  was  sung  to  the  tune  of  Auld  Lang 
Syne,  the  girls  joining  in: 

"  Oak  Hall  we  never  shall  forget, 

No  matter  where  we  roam; 
It  is  the  very  best  of  schools, 

To  us  it's  just  like  home! 
Then  give  three  cheers,  and  let  them  ring 

Throughout  this  world  so  wide, 
To  let  the  people  know  that  we 

Elect  to  here  abide ! " 

"  Say,  that  takes  me  back  to  the  old  days  at 
Oak  Hall,"  remarked  Roger,  when  the  singing 
had  come  to  an  end.  "  My,  but  those  were  the 
great  days  I  " 

"  I  don't  believe  we'll  ever  see  any  better, 
Roger,"  answered  Dave. 


THE  BIG  SLEIGHING-PARTY  loi 

The  sleighing  party  had  still  three  miles  to  go 
when  suddenly  Laura  uttered  a  cry. 

"  It's  snowing !  " 

"So  it  is!"  burst  out  Belle.  "What  a 
shame  I  " 

"  Maybe  it  won't  amount  to  much,"  said  Ben. 
"  It  often  snows  just  a  little,  you  know." 

The  first  flakes  to  fall  were  large,  and  dropped 
down  lazily  from  the  sky.  But  soon  it  grew 
darker,  and  in  a  short  time  the  snow  was  coming 
down  so  thickly  that  it  almost  blotted  out  the 
landscape  on  all  sides. 

"  Some  fall  this !  "  exclaimed  Phil.  "  Looks 
now  as  if  it  were  going  to  be  a  regular  storm." 

"  O  dear  I  and  I  wanted  it  to  be  moonlight  to- 
night I  "  wailed  Laura. 

Dave  was  peering  around  and  looking  anx- 
iously at  the  heavy,  leaden  sky. 

"  If  this  is  going  to  be  a  heavy  storm,  maybe 
it  might  be  as  well  for  us  to  turn  back,"  he  an- 
nounced. 

"Turn  back?"  came  from  several  of  the 
others. 

"  Yes." 

"  What  for,  Dave?  "  questioned  Phil.  "  I  don't 
think  a  little  snow  is  going  to  hurt  us.  Maybe  it 
will  help  to  keep  us  warm,"  he  added  with  a  grin. 

"  We  don't  want  to  get  snowed  in,  Phil." 

"  Oh,  let's  go  on  I  "  interposed  Roger.     "  Even 


I02     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

If  it  does  keep  on  snowing  it  won't  get  very  heavy 
in  the  next  couple  of  hours.  We  can  hurry  up 
with  our  dinner  at  Lamont  and  be  home  again 
before  it  gets  very  deep." 

"  All  right,  I'm  willing  if  the  rest  are,"  re- 
turned Dave,  who  did  not  wish  to  throw  "  cold 
water "  on  their  sport.  "  Lamont  it  is  I  Go 
ahead.  Wash,  we  want  to  get  there  just  as  soon 
as  possible." 

On  they  plunged,  the  snow  coming  down  thicker 
and  thicker  every  minute.  Then,  just  as  the  out- 
skirts of  the  town  were  gained,  they  heard  a  curi- 
ous humming  sound. 

"Oh,  Dave!     What  is  that?"  queried  Jessie. 

"  It's  the  wind  coming  up,"  he  answered. 
"  Listen!  "- 

All  did  so  and  noted  that  the  humming  sound 
was  increasing.  Then  the  wind  came  tearing 
through  the  woods  and  down  the  highway  with 
great  force,  sending  the  snow  in  driving  sheets  into 
their  faces. 

*'  My  gracious,  this  looks  as  if  It  were  going  to 
be  a  blizzard  I  "  gasped  Phil,  who  had  started  up 
to  see  what  the  sound  meant.  "  We  had  better 
get  under  some  kind  of  cover  just  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible." 

"  We'll  be  up  to  dat  hotel  In  anudder  minute," 
bawled  Washington  Bones,  to  make  himself  heard 


i'KOM   UNDEK  THK   SNOW   AND   THE   ROBES   CRAWLED   THE   BOYS   AND 

THE  aiBLs  — Page  103. 


THE  BIG  SLEIGHING-PARTY  103 

above  the  sudden  fury  of  the  elements.  "  Say  I 
dis  suah  Is  some  snowsto'm  I  "  he  added. 

Again  he  cracked  his  whip,  and  once  more  the 
four  horses  ploughed  along  as  well  as  they  were 
able.  They  had  to  face  both  the  wind  and  the 
snow,  and  these  combined  made  progress  slow. 
By  the  time  the  party  came  into  sight  of  the  hotel 
with  the  restaurant  attached,  the  wind  was  blow- 
ing almost  a  gale,  and  the  snow  seemed  to  be  com- 
ing down  In  driving  chunks. 

"  Drive  us  around  to  the  side  porch,"  ordered 
Dave.     **  It  will  be  a  little  more  sheltered  there." 

"  Yassir,"  came  from  the  colored  driver;  and 
soon  they  had  come  to  a  halt  at  the  spot  men- 
tioned. From  under  the  snow  and  robes  crawled 
the  boys  and  the  girls  and  lost  no  time  In  running 
Into  the  hotel.  Then  the  colored  man  drove  the 
turnout  down  to  the  stables. 

"  My  I  did  you  ever  see  such  a  storm !  "  was 
Roger's  comment.  "  And  how  quickly  It  came 
up  I" 

"  If  It  isn't  a  blizzard,  It  Is  next  door  to  it," 
returned  Dave.  And  then  he  added  quickly:  "  It 
looks  to  me  as  if  we  were  going  to  be  snow- 
bound I" 


CHAPTER  XI 

HELD  BY  THE  BLIZZARD 

"  Snowbound  I  "  The  cry  came  from  several 
of  the  party. 

"  Yes,  snowbound,  If  this  heavy  fall  continues," 
answered  Dave.  "  Just  see  how  the  chunks  of 
snow  are  coming  down,  and  how  the  wind  is  driv- 
ing them  along." 

It  was  certainly  an  interesting  sight,  and  all  the 
young  people  watched  it  for  some  time  before  they 
took  off  their  wraps  and  prepared  to  sit  down  to 
the  meal,  which  had  been  ordered  over  the  tele- 
phone before  leaving  Crumville. 

"  My,  just  listen  to  the  wind  1  "  was  Phil's  com- 
ment. "  You'd  think  it  was  a  regular  nor'- 
wester." 

"  If  it  keeps  on  it  certainly  will  be  a  blizzard," 
put  in  Roger.  "  In  one  way  we  can  be  glad  we 
are  under  shelter,  even  though  we  are  a  good  many 
miles  from  home." 

"  Yes.  And  snow  or  no  snow,  I  move  that  we 
sit  down  to  dinner,"  continued  Phil.  "  We  can't 
go  back  while  it  is  snowing  and  blowing  like  this, 

104 


HELD  BY  THE  BLIZZARD  105 

so  we  might  as  well  make  the  best  of  our  stay 
here." 

After  having  ordered  a  meal  for  the  colored 
man,  which  was  served  in  another  part  of  the 
hotel,  Dave  joined  his  friends  in  the  restaurant. 
A  special  table  had  been  placed  in  a  cozy  corner, 
and  that  was  decorated  with  a  large  bouquet  of 
hothouse  flowers,  with  a  smaller  bouquet  at  each 
plate. 

"  Oh,  how  lovely  I  "  burst  out  Jessie,  when  she 
saw  the  flowers. 

"  You  folks  in  the  East  certainly  know  how  to 
spread  yourselves,"  was  Cora  Dartmore's  com- 
ment. "  Just  look  at  those  beautiful  flowers  and 
then  at  the  fierce  snowstorm  outside." 

"  Oh,  let  us  forget  the  storm  I  "  cried  Laura. 
"  It  will  be  time  enough  to  think  about  that  when 
we  have  to  start  for  home." 

"  That's  the  truth  I  "  answered  her  brother, 
gaily.  "  Everybody  fall  to  and  do  as  much  dam- 
age to  the  bill-of-fare  as  possible ; "  and  this  re- 
mark caused  a  general  smile. 

Then  the  first  course  was  served  and  soon  all  of 
the  party  were  eating  and  chatting  with  the  great- 
est of  satisfaction. 

In  the  meanwhile,  the  blizzard  —  for  such  it 
really  was  —  continued  to  increase  in  violence. 
The  wind  tore  along  through  the  woods  and 
down  the  streets  of  the  town,  bringing  with  it  first 


io6     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

the  heavy  chunks  of  snow  and  then  some  hard 
particles  not  unlike  salt  in  appearance.  The  fine 
snow  seemed  to  creep  in  everywhere,  and,  driven 
by  the  wind,  formed  drifts  which  kept  increasing 
in  size  steadily. 

After  the  first  course  of  raw  oysters,  came  some 
cream  of  celery  soup  with  relishes,  and  then  some 
roast  turkey  with  cranberry  sauce  and  vegetables. 
After  that  the  young  folks  had  various  kinds  of 
dessert  with  hot  chocolate,  and  then  nuts  with 
raisins. 

"  What  a  grand  dinner !  "  remarked  Belle,  when 
they  were  finishing.  "  Dave,  you  certainly  know 
how  to  order  the  good  things." 

"  Oh,  I  had  Roger  and  Phil  to  help  me  on  that," 
returned  our  hero.  "  Trust  them  to  order  up  the 
good  things  to  eat." 

"  And  trust  Dave  to  help  us  get  away  with  • 
them,"  sang  out  the  senator's  son,  gaily. 

"  There  is  only  one  time  when  those  fellows 
can't  eat,"  retorted  Dave.  "  That  is  when  they 
are  asleep." 

At  a  small  table  not  far  away  from  where  the 
young  people  were  seated,  sat  an  elderly  man  and 
a  lady. 

,  "  There  Is  Doctor  Renwick  and  his  wife,"  said 
Laura,  when  the  meal  was  finished.  "  They  must 
have  been  sleighing,  too.  I  am  going  to  speak  to 
them."     For  Dr.  Renwick  came  from  Crumville, 


HELD  BY  THE  BLIZZARD  107 

and  had  often  attended  the  Porter  family,  as  well 
as  the  Wadsworths. 

"  We  are  staying  here  for  a  few  days,"  said 
Mrs.  Renwick  to  Dave's  sister,  after  they  had 
shaken  hands.  "  You  see,  the  proprietor  of  this 
hotel  and  restaurant  is  my  cousin." 

"  Oh,  I  didn't  know  that,"  said  Laura.  "  They 
certainly  have  a  very  nice  place  here,  and  the  din- 
ner we  had  was  just  too  lovely  for  anything." 

"  Are  you  folks  calculating  to  drive  back  to 
Crumville  now?"  questioned  Dr.  Renwick. 

"  That  was  our  expectation,"  replied  Dave, 
who  had  followed  his  sister;  "  but  it  looks  pretty 
fierce  outside,  doesn't  it?" 

"  I  should  say  so.  Porter.  Just  listen  to  that 
wind,  and  see  how  it  is  driving  the  snow  I  I 
shouldn't  like  to  face  it  for  any  great  distance." 

The  others  came  up,  and  all  the  strangers  were 
introduced  to  the  doctor  and  his  wife,  and  then 
the  entire  party  left  the  restaurant  and  entered 
the  parlor  of  the  hotel,  from  the  windows  of 
which  they  could  watch  the  storm. 

"It  certainly  is  fierce  I"  remarked  Phil,  as 
they  gazed  at  the  furious  onslaught  of  the  ele- 
ments. 

The  wind  was  blowing  as  hard  as  ever,  rattling 
the  windows  and  sending  the  snow  against  the 
panes  as  if  it  were  so  much  hail.  It  was  impos- 
sible to  see  across  the  street,  and,  although  La- 


io8     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

mont  boasted  of  a  limited  electric  light  service, 
all  the  lights  upon  the  street  corners  were  out. 

"  This  storm  is  going  to  break  down  a  lot  of 
the  wires,"  announced  Roger. 

"  What  do  you  think  about  our  trying  to  get 
back  to  Crumville?  "  questioned  Dave. 

"  To  tell  the  truth,  Dave,  I  don't  see  how  we 
are  going  to  make  it.  You  don't  want  to  face 
that  wind,  do  you?  And  going  back  we'd  have 
to  head  into  it  nearly  all  the  way." 

"  I  think  I'll  go  outside  and  have  a  talk  with 
the  driver,"  answered  our  hero,  and  went  out 
accompanied  by  Roger  and  Ben. 

"  I'd  like  to  get  home  on  account  of  my  father's 
being  sick,"  announced  the  real  estate  dealer's 
son.  "  Otherwise  I  would  just  as  lief  stay  here 
until  to-morrow." 

"  That's  all  right  enough  for  us  boys,"  put  in 
Roger,  "  but  how  about  the  girls?  " 

"  We  can  leave  them  ift  Mrs.  Renwick's  care 
if  we  have  to,"  announced  Dave.  "  Laura  and 
Jessie  know  her  very  well,  and  I  am  sure  she'll 
be  only  too  glad  to  play  the  chaperon.  She's  a 
very  nice  lady,  and  the  doctor  is  a  very  fine  man." 

They  found  that  Washington  Bones  had  had 
his  supper  and  had  returned  to  the  stable  to  feed 
his  horses.  When  they  questioned  the  colored 
man  about  getting  back  to  Crumville  he  shrugged 
his  shoulders  and  shook  his  head. 


HELD  BY  THE  BLIZZARD  109 

"  Might  try  it  if  you  say  so,"  he  said;  "  but  it 
ain't  gwine  to  be  no  easy  job,  boss,  and  we  may 
git  stuck  somewheres  so  as  you  cain't  git  to  not 
even  a  house.  Then  we  might  all  be  froze  to 
death." 

"  What  do  you  think  it  is,  Wash,  a  blizzard?  " 
questioned  Roger. 

"  Dat's  jest  what  dis  is,  boss.  And  my  opin- 
ion is  it's  gwine  to  be  a  heap  sight  wo'se  before  it 
gits  bettah,"  added  the  driver. 

"  I  guess  you're  right  there,"  answered  Dave. 
"  And  that's  one  reason  I  think  we  ought  to  try 
to  get  back  to  Crumville.  But  just  the  same,  I'd 
hate  to  get  stuck  somewhere  along  the  road,  as  he 
says.  We  boys  might  be  able  to  get  out  of  it 
along  with  Wash,  but  we  couldn't  expect  the  girls 
to  do  any  tramping  in  such  deep  snow  and  in  such 
a  wind." 

There  was  an  old-fashioned  covered  walk  from 
the  hotel  to  the  stables,  so  that  the  boys  in  going 
from  one  place  to  the  other  had  not  had  to  expose 
themselves  to  the  elements.  Now,  to  get  an  idea 
of  how  bad  the  storm  was,  Dave  walked  out  as  far 
as  the  street,  followed  by  his  chums. 

"  Great  Caesar's  ghost !  "  puffed  the  senator's 
son,  as  they  stood  where  they  could  get  the  full 
benefit  of  the  storm.  "  This  is  frightful,  Dave ! 
Why,  it  would  be  nothing  short  of  suicide  to  try 
to 'go  anywhere  I  " 


no  DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

"  I —  I  —  guess  we  h-had  better  g-go  in 
and  telephone  that  we  c-c-can't  come  I  "  panted 
Ben;  and  then  lost  no  time  in  returning  to  the 
stable,  followed  by  the  others. 

They  had  been  outside  less  than  five  minutes, 
yet  the  fury  of  the  blizzard  had  nearly  taken 
their  breath  away. 

"  We  won't  attempt  it.  Wash;  so  you  can  make 
arrangements  to  stay  here  to-night,"  announced 
Dave.  He  turned  to  his  chums.  "  Come  on 
back  to  the  hotel,  and  we  will  do  what  telephoning 
is  necessary." 

They  returned  to  the  parlor,  and  there  the 
situation  was  explained  to  the  girls  and  to  Dr. 
Renwick  and  his  wife. 

"  Oh,  you  mustn't  think  of  trying  to  get  back 
to-night  I  "  cried  the  doctor's  wife,  quickly. 
"  There  are  plenty  of  vacant  rooms  here,  and  I'll 
see  to  it  that  my  cousin  gives  you  good  accommo- 
dations." 

"  And  will  you  look  after  the  young  ladies,  Mrs. 
Renwick?"  questioned  Dave. 

"  I  certainly  will,  Dave,"  she  answered  gra- 
ciously. "  Don't  let  that  worry  you  in  the  least. 
I'll  be  glad  to  take  charge  of  such  a  nice  family," 
and  she  smiled  sweetly  at  all  the  girls. 

"  We  are  going  to  telephone  to  Crumville  and 
let  the  folks.know  how  matters  stand,"  announced 


HELD  BY  THE  BLIZZARD  in 

Ben ;  and  then  he  and  Dave  hurried  to  where  there 
was  a  telephone  booth. 

Here,  however,  they  met  with  no  success  so  far 
as  getting  into  communication  with  their  folks  at 
Crumville  was  concerned.  It  took  a  long  time  to 
get  Central,  and  then  it  was  announced  that  the 
storm  had  taken  down  all  the  wires  running  to 
Crumville  and  beyond.  One  wire  that  was  down 
was  still  connected,  but,  try  their  best,  neither  of 
the  boys  was  able  to  understand  anything  of  what 
was  said  over  it.  Then  this  line  snapped;  and 
that  ended  all  efforts  to  send  any  messages. 

"  I  wish  they  knew  we  were  safe,"  said  Dave. 
"  Now  that  they  don't  know  it  they  may  worry, 
thinking  we  are  snowed  in  somewhere  along  the 
road." 

"  Well,  we've  got  to  make  the  best  of  it,"  an- 
swered Ben.  "  I  did  hope  to  speak  to  mother, 
to  ask  her  how  father  was,  and  to  let  her  know 
that  we  were  all  right." 

"  It  looks  to  me,  Ben,  as  if  this  blizzard  might 
last  for  several  days  or  a  week." 

"  So  it  does.  But  sometimes  these  storms  clear 
away  almost  as  rapidly  as  they  come." 

The  two  youths  returned  to  the  others  and  an- 
nounced the  failure  of  their  effort  to  get  into  com- 
munication with  Crumville.  This  was  dishearten- 
ing to  Laura  and  Jessie,  but  as  it  could  not  be 


ii2     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

helped  the  girls  said  they  would  make  the  best 
of  it.  Then  Laura  and  Dave  went  off  with  the 
doctor  and  his  wife,  to  obtain  accommodations 
for  the  whole  party. 

It  was  learned  that  Dr.  Renwick  had  a  fine 
apartment  on  the  second  floor,  and  that  there  were 
two  rooms  adjoining  which  were  vacant.  These 
were  turned  over  to  the  four  girls.  The  boys 
were  accommodated  with  two  rooms  on  the  floor 
above. 

"  Not  quite  as  good  as  they  might  be,"  observed 
Dave,  when  he  and  his  chums  inspected  their 
rooms,  which  were  directly  under  the  roof  of  the 
country  hotel.  "  But  they  are  much  better  than 
nothing,  and,  as  the  sailors  say,  '  any  port  in  a 
storm.'  " 

"  Oh,  this  is  plenty  good  enough,"  returned 
Phil.  "  But  I  am  glad  the  girls  are  on  the  floor 
below.     Those  rooms  are  much  better  than  these." 

As  the  boys  had  no  baggage,  there  was  nothing 
for  them  to  arrange  in  the  rooms  which  had  been 
assigned  to  them,  so  after  a  hasty  look  around 
they  started  to  go  downstairs  again,  to  rejoin  the 
girls  in  the  parlor.  As  the  boys  passed  the  room 
next  to  the  one  which  Dave  and  Ben  had  elected 
to  occupy,  the  door  of  the  apartment  was  opened 
on  a  crack.  Then,  as  the  youths  left  the  corridor 
to  descend  the  stairs,  the  door  was  opened  a  little 
wider,  and  a  young  man  peered  out  cautiously. 


HELD  BY  THE  BLIZZARD  113 

"  Well,  what  do  you  know  about  that ! "  mut- 
tered the  young  man  to  himself,  after  the  four 
chums  had  disappeared.  "  Right  here  at  this 
hotel,  and  going  to  occupy  the  room  next  to  the 
one  I've  got  I     Could  you  beat  It?  " 

The  young  man  was  Ward  Porton. 


CHAPTER  XII 

TIM  CRAPSEY'S  plot 

"Who  are  you  talking  to,  Port?"  questioned 
a  man  who  was  resting  on  the  bed  In  the  room 
which  Ward  Porton  occupied. 

"  Didn't  I  tell  you  not  to  call  me  by  that  name, 
Crapsey?"  returned  the  former  moving-picture 
actor,  as  he  closed  the  door  softly  and  locked  It. 

"What's  the  difference  when  we're  alone?" 
grumbled  the  man  called  Crapsey,  as  he  shifted 
himself  and  rubbed  his  eyes. 

"  It  may  make  a  whole  lot  of  difference,"  an- 
swered Porton.  "  I've  just  made  a  big  discov- 
ery. 

"  A  discovery?  "  The  man  sat  up  on  the  edge 
of  the  bed.  "  Discovered  how  to  git  hold  of  some 
money,  I  hope.     We  need  It." 

"  You  remember  my  telling  you  about  that  fel- 
low who  looks  like  me  —  the  fellow  named  Dave 
Porter?'*  went  on  the  former  moving-picture 
actor.  "  Well,  he's  here  In  this  hotel.  And  he 
and  three  of  his  chums  have  the  rooms  next  to  this 

one. 

114 


TIM  CRAPSEY'S  PLOT  115 

"  You  don't  mean  it?  "  and  now  Tim  Crapsey 
showed  his  interest.     "  Did  they  see  you?  " 

"  Not  much  I  And  I  don't  intend  that  they 
shall,"  was  the  decided  reply. 

"  Did  you  know  the  other  fellows?  " 

"  Yes,  they  are  the  regular  bunch  Porter  travels 
with.  I've  got  to  keep  out  of  sight  of  all  of  them. 
From  what  they  said  they  are  evidently  snowbound 
here  on  account  of  this  blizzard,  so  there  is  no 
telling  how  long  they  will  stay,"  added  the  former 
moving-picture  actor  in  disgust.  "  Confound  the 
luck  I  I  suppose  I'll  have  to  stay  in  this  room  a 
prisoner  and  let  you  get  my  meals  for  me." 

"  This  fellow's  being  here  may  not  be  such  a 
bad  thing  for  you,"  remarked  Tim  Crapsey. 
"  Maybe  you  can  impersonate  him  and  touch  the 
hotel  clerk  for  a  loan  of  ten  or  twenty  dollars." 

"  I  am  not  going  to  run  too  many  risks  —  not 
with  so  many  of  those  fellows  on  hand.  If  I  had 
only  Porter  to  deal  with  it  might  be  different,"  re- 
turned Ward  Porton.  "  Just  the  same,  I'm  going 
to  keep  my  eyes  open,  and  if  I  can  get  the  best 
of  him  in  any  way  you  can  bet  your  boots  I'll 
do  it." 

In  the  meanwhile  Dave  and  his  chums  had  re- 
joined the  girls  and  Dr.  Renwick  and  his  wife  in 
the  parlor  of  the  hotel,  and  there  all  made  them- 
selves as  much  at  home  as  possible.  There  was 
iquite  a  gathering  of  snowbound  people,  and  a  good 


ii6     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

deal  of  the  talk  was  on  the  question  of  how  long 
the  blizzard  might  last. 

"  Some  of  the  people  here  are  going  to  try  to 
get  over  to  Pepsico,"  said  one  man.  "  That  is 
only  a  mile  and  a  quarter  from  here,  and  they  are 
hoping  to  get  the  train  that  goes  through  that 
place  about  one  o'clock  in  the  morning.'* 

"  The  train  may  be  snowbound,  too,"  returned 
another;  "  and  if  it  is  those  folks  will  have  their 
hard  tramp  to  Pepsico  for  nothing." 

Outside  it  was  still  snowing  and  blowing  as 
furiously  as  ever.  All  the  street  lights  were  out, 
and  so  were  the  electric  lights  in  the  hotel,  so  that 
the  hostelry  had  to  depend  on  its  old-time  lamps 
for  its  illumination.  But  the  lamps  had  been  dis- 
carded only  the  year  before  so  it  was  an  easy  mat- 
ter to  bring  them  into  use  again. 

Not  to  keep  the  good  doctor  and  his  wife  up 
too  long,  Laura  told  Mrs.  Renwick  that  they 
would  retire  whenever  she  felt  like  it.  About 
half  past  ten  good-nights  were  said  and  the  girls 
went  upstairs  with  the  lady,  followed  presently  by 
the  doctor.  The  boys  remained  below  to  take  an- 
other peep  out  at  the  storm. 

"  It's  a  regular  old-fashioned  blizzard,"  an- 
nounced Dave. 

"  And  no  telling  how  long  we'll  be  stalled  here," 
added  Roger.  "Quite  an  adventure,  isn't  it?" 
and  he  smiled  faintly. 


TIM  CRAPSEY'S  PLOT  117 

"Well,  we  can  be  thankful  that  we  weren't 
caught  somewhere  along  the  road,"  broke  In  Phil. 

"  That's  it!  "  came  from  Ben.  "  Why,  if  we 
had  been  caught  in  some  out-of-the-way  place,  we 
might  be  frozen  to  death  trying  to  find  some 
shelter." 

The  two  rooms  which  the  chums  occupied  on 
the  third  floor  of  the  hotel  were  connected,  and 
before  they  went  to  bed  the  youths  all  drifted 
into  the  one  which  was  to  be  occupied  by  Dave  and 
Ben,  for  here  it  was  slightly  warmer  than  in  the 
other  room,  and  the  lamp  gave  a  better  light.  It 
seemed  good  to  be  together  like  this,  especially  on 
a  night  when  the  elements  were  raging  so  furiously 
outside.  The  former  school  chums  talked  of 
many  things  —  of  days  at  Oak  Hall,  of  bitter 
rivalries  on  the  diamond,  the  gridiron,  and  on  the 
boating  course,  and  of  the  various  friends  and  ene- 
mies they  had  made. 

"  The  only  one  of  our  enemies  who  seems  to 
have  made  a  man  of  himself  is  Gus  Plum,"  re- 
marked Dave.  "  He  has  settled  down  to  business 
and  I  understand  he  is  doing  very  well." 

"Well,  Nat  Poole  is  doing  fairly  well,"  re- 
turned Ben.  "  I  understand  his  father  owns  stock 
in  that  bank,  so  they'll  probably  boost  Nat  along 
as  rapidly  as  his  capabilities  will  permit." 

"  Nat  was  never  the  enemy  that  Plum  and  Jas- 
niff  and  Merwell  werel  "  cried  Phil.     "  He  was 


ii8     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

one  of  the  weak-minded  kind  who  thought  it  was 
smart  to  follow  the  others  in  their  doings." 

"  This  storm  is  going  to  interfere  with  our 
studies,  Dave,"  announced  Roger.  *'  Not  but 
what  I'm  willing  enough  to  take  a  few  days*  rest," 
he  added  with  a  grin. 

"  We'll  have  to  make  up  for  It  somehow, 
Roger,"  returned  our  hero.  "  We've  got  to 
pass  that  examination  with  flying  colors." 

"  I'm  afraid  this  storm  will  interfere  with  the 
art  critics  who  were  to  look  at  those  miniatures," 
put  in  Ben.  "  Oh,  dear  I  I  wish  we  knew  just 
what  those  little  paintings  were  worth." 

"  I  hope  they  prove  to  be  worth  at  least  a  hun- 
dred thousand  dollars,"  said  Phil.  "  That  will 
be  a  nice  sum  of  money  for  you  folks,  Ben." 

"  Right  you  are  I  "  answered  the  son  of  the  real 
estate  dealer. 

The  youths  were  tremendously  interested  in 
the  miniatures,  and  a  discussion  of  them  ensued 
which  lasted  the  best  part  of  half  an  hour.  Ben 
described  some  of  the  pictures  as  well  as  he  was 
able,  and  told  of  how  they  were  packed,  and  of 
how  they  had  been  placed  in  the  Basswood  safe, 
waiting  for  the  critics  that  Mr.  Wadsworth  had 
promised  to  bring  from  the  city  to  his  home  to  in- 
spect them. 

"  Well,  I  suppose  we  might  as  well  turn  in," 


TIM  CRAPSEY'S  PLOT  119 

said  Roger,  presently,  as  he  gave  a  yawn.  "  I 
must  confess  I'm  tired." 

"  Come  ahead,  I'm  willing,"  announced  Phil; 
and  then  he  and  the  senator's  son  retired  to  the 
next  room. 

"  O  pshaw!  what  do  you  suppose  I  did?"  ex- 
claimed Dave  to  Ben,  while  the  pair  were  undress- 
ing. *'  I  left  my  overcoat  and  my  cap  on  the  rack 
in  the  lower  hallway.  I  should  have  brought  them 
up  here." 

"  I  did  the  same  thing,"  answered  his  chum. 
"  I  guess  they'll  be  safe  enough.  All  the  folks 
in  this  hotel  seem  to  be  pretty  nice  people." 

"  I  don't  suppose  there  are  any  blizzard  pictures 
among  those  miniatures,  Ben?"  observed  Dave, 
with  a  laugh  just  before  turning  in. 

"  There  is  a  picture  of  one  army  officer  in  a  big, 
shaggy  uniform  which  looks  as  if  it  might  be  worn 
because  of  cold  weather,"  answered  Ben;  and  then, 
as  the  miniatures  were  very  close  to  his  heart,  the 
youth  began  to  talk  about  them  again. 

This  discussion  lasted  for  another  quarter  of 
an  hour,  after  which  the  chums  retired  and  were 
soon  deep  in  the  land  of  slumber. 

Although  none  of  our  friends  knew  it,  every 
word  of  their  conversation  had  been  listened  to 
eagerly  by  Ward  Porton  and  the  man  with  him. 
They  had  noted  carefully  all  that  had  been  said 


120     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

about  the  Basswood  fortune,  and  about  the  minia- 
tures having  been  placed  in  the  real  estate  dealer's 
safe  awaiting  inspection  by  the  critics  who  were 
to  visit  Mr.  Wadsworth  at  his  mansion.  Both 
had  noted  also  what  Dave  had  said  about  leaving 
his  overcoat  and  his  cap  on  the  rack  on  the  lower 
floor  of  the  hotel. 

"  A  hundred  thousand  dollars'  worth  of  minia- 
tures I  "  murmured  Tim  Crapsey,  after  the  sounds 
in  the  adjoining  room  had  ceased.  "  Say,  that's 
some  fortune,  sure  enough  I  " 

"  But  pictures  1  Humph,  what  good  are 
they?  "  returned  Ward  Porton,  in  disgust.  "  I'd 
rather  have  my  fortune  in  something  a  little  more 
usable." 

"  Oh,  pictures  are  not  so  bad,  and  miniatures 
can  be  handled  very  easily,"  answered  Tim  Crap- 
sey. His  small  eyes  began  to  twinkle.  "  Jest 
you  let  me  git  my  hands  on  'em,  and  I'll  show  you 
wot  I  kin  do.  I  know  a  fence  in  New  York  who'll 
take  pictures  jest  as  quick  as  anything  else." 

"  And  what  would  he  do  with  them  after  he 
got  them?  "  questioned  Ward  Porton  curiously. 

"  Oh,  he'd  ship  'em  'round  to  different  places 
after  he  got  'em  doctored  up,  and  git  rid  of  'em 
somehow  to  art  dealers  and  collectors.  Of  course, 
he  might  not  be  able  to  git  full  value  for  'em ;  but 
if  they're  worth  a  hundred  thousand  dollars  he 
might  git  ten  or  twenty  thousand,  and  that  ain't 


TIM  CRAPSEY'S  PLOT  121 

bad,  is  It?"  and  Tim  Crapsey  looked  at  Ward 
Porton  suggestively. 

"  Easy  enough  to  talk,  but  how  are  you  going  to 
get  your  hands  on  those  miniatures?"  demanded 
the  former  moving-picture  actor,  speaking,  how- 
ever, in  a  low  tone,  so  that  none  of  those  in  the 
next  room  might  hear  him. 

"  I  jest  got  an  idee,"  croaked  Tim  Crapsey. 
He  was  a  man  who  consumed  a  large  amount  of 
liquor,  and  his  voice  showed  it.  "  Didn't  you  hear 
wot  that  chap  said  about  leaving  his  coat  and  hat 
downstairs?  If  you  could  fool  them  shopkeepers 
the  way  you  did,  then,  if  you  had  that  feller's  hat 
and  coat,  and  maybe  fixed  up  a  bit  to  look  like  that 
photograph  you  had  of  him,  you  might  be  able  to 
go  to  the  Basswood  house  and  fool  the  folks 
there." 

"  I  don't  quite  understand?  " 

"  I  mean  this  way :  We  could  go  to  Crumville 
and  you  could  watch  your  chance,  and  when  the 
coast  was  clear  you  could  git  a  rig  and  drive  over 
to  the  Basswood  house  and  go  in  quite  excited  like 
and  tell  'em  that  this  Mr.  Wadsworth  was  a-want- 
in'  to  see  them  miniatures  right  away, —  that  a 
very  celebrated  art  critic  had  called  on  him,  but 
couldn't  stay  long.  Wanted  to  ketch  a  train  and 
all  that.  You  could  tell  'em  that  Mr.  Wadsworth 
had  sent  you  to  git  the  miniatures,  and  that  he  had 
said  that  he  would  return  'em  jest  as  soon  as  the 


122     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

critic  had  looked  'em  over.  Do  you  ketch  the 
idee?  "  and  Tim  Crapsey  looked  narrowly  at  his 
companion. 

"  It  might  work,  although  I'd  be  running  a  big 
risk,"  said  Ward  Porton,  slowly.  Yet  his  eyes 
gleamed  in  satisfaction  over  the  thoug'ht.  "  But 
you  forgot  one  thing,  Tim:  We  are  snowbound 
here,  and  we  can't  get  away  any  quicker  than  they 
can. 

"  That's  where  you're  mistaken,  Port  —  I  mean 
Mr.  Jones,"  Crapsey  checked  himself  hastily.  "  I 
heard  some  folks  downstairs  talkin'  about  going 
over  to  Pepsico  to  ketch  the  one  o'clock  train. 
That  goes  through  Crumville,  and  if  we  could 
ketch  it  we'd  be  in  that  town  long  before  mornin'. 
We  could  fix  up  some  story  about  the  others  bein' 
left  behind  here,  and  Dave  Porter  comin'  home 
alone.  They  can't  send  any  telephone  message, 
for  the  wires  are  down,  and  I  don't  know  of  any 
telegraph  office  here  where  they  could  send  a  mes- 
sage that  way." 

"  If  we  were  going  to  try  it  we'd  have  to  hustle," 
announced  Ward  Porton.  "  And  it's  a  fierce  risk, 
let  me  tell  you  that, —  first,  trying  to  get  to  the 
railroad  station,  and  then  trying  to  bluff  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Basswood  into  thinking  I  am  Dave  Porter. 
You  must  remember  that  since  I  got  those  things 
in  Porter's  name  at  those  stores,  the  whole  crowd 
are  on  their  guard." 


TIM  CRAPSEY'S  PLOT  123 

"  Well,  you  can't  gain  anything  in  this  world 
without  takin'  chances,"  retorted  Tim  Crapsey. 
"  If  I  looked  like  that  feller  I'd  take  the  chance 
In  a  minute.  Why,  jest  see  what  we  could  make 
out  of  it!  If  you  can  git  your  hands  on  those 
miniatures,  I'll  take  care  of  the  rest  of  it  and  we 
can  split  fifty-fifty  on  what  we  git  out  of  the  deal." 

Ward  Porton  mused  for  a  moment  while  Tim 
Crapsey  eyed  him  closely.  Then  the  former  mov- 
ing-picture actor  leaped  softly  to  his  feet. 

"  I'll  do  it,  Tim !  "  he  cried  in  a  low  voice. 
"  Come  ahead  —  let  us  get  out  of  this  hotel  just 
as  soon  as  possible.  And  on  the  way  downstairs 
I'll  see  if  I  can't  lift  that  cap  and  overcoat." 


[CHAPTER  XIII 

WHAT  WASHINGTON  BONES   HAD  TO  TELL 

Dave  was  the  first  of  the  four  chums  to  awaken 
in  the  morning.  He  glanced  toward  the  window, 
to  find  it  covered  with  frost  and  snow,  thus  leaving 
the  room  almost  dark.  The  wind  was  still  blow- 
ing furiously,  and  the  room  was  quite  cold.  With- 
out disturbing  Ben  our  hero  looked  at  his  watch 
and  found  that  it  was  almost  eight  o'clock.  He 
leaped  up  and  commenced  to  dress. 

"Hello!  getting  up  already?"  came  sleepily 
from  his  roommate,  as  Ben  stretched  himself  and 
rubbed  his  eyes.     "  It  must  be  pretty  early." 

"  That's  where  you're  mistaken,  Ben,"  was 
Dave's  answer.  "  In  a  few  minutes  more  it  will 
be  eight  o'clock." 

"  You  don't  say  so !  How  dark  It  is  I  But  I 
suppose  it's  the  frost  on  the  window  makes  that," 
went  on  the  real  estate  dealer's  son,  as  he,  too, 
got  up.  "Phewl  but  it's  some  cold,  isn't  it?" 
and  he  started  to  dress  without  delay. 

The  noise  the  two  boys  made  in  moving  around 

the  room  aroused  the  others,  and  soon  they  too 

were  getting  up. 

124 


WHAT  BONES  HAD  TO  TELL         125 

"Wow I  Talk  about  Greenland's  Icy  Moun- 
tains 1  "  commented  Phil,  with  a  shiver.  *'  How'd 
you  like  to  go  outside,  Roger,  just  as  you  are,  and 
have  a  snowball  fight?  " 

"  Nothing  doing!  "  retorted  the  senator's  son, 
who  was  getting  into  his  clothing  just  as  rapidly  as 
possible.  "  Say,  fellows,  but  this  surely  is  some 
snowstorm !  "  he  continued,  as  he  walked  to  the 
window  and  scraped  some  frost  from  a  pane  of 
glass  so  that  he  could  catch  a  glimpse  of  what  was 
outside.  "  It's  still  snowing  to  beat  the  band  I  " 
he  announced. 

"  And  listen  to  the  wind  I "  broke  in  Ben. 
"Why,  sometimes  it  fairly  rocks  the  building  1  " 

"  Doesn't  look  much  as  if  we  were  going  to  get 
back  to-day,"  said  Dave.  "  I  suppose  the  roads 
are  practically  impassable." 

"  They  must  be  if  it  snowed  all  night,"  an- 
swered Ben.  "  Let  us  go  down  and  take  a  look 
around." 

"  I  wonder  if  the  girls  are  up  yet?  "  questioned 
Roger. 

"  It  won't  make  much  difference  whether  they 
are  or  not,"  returned  Dave.  "  If  we  can't  get 
away  from  here  they  may  as  well  sleep  as  long  as 
they  please.  There  certainly  isn't  much  to  do  in 
this  small  hotel." 

The  youths  were  soon  washed  and  dressed,  and 
then  all  trooped  below.     They  passed  the  rooms 


126  DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE  ' 

occupied  by  the  girls  and  by  Dr.  Renwick  and  his 
wife,  but  heard  no  sounds  coming  from  within. 

"  They  are  taking  advantage  of  the  storm  to 
have  a  good  rest,"  commented  Phil.  He  gave  a 
yawn.  "  I  almost  wish  I  had  remained  in  bed 
myself.     We  won't  have  a  thing  to  do  here." 

"  I  noticed  a  bowhng  alley  next  door,  Phil,"  an- 
nounced Roger.  "  If  we  can't  do  anything  else 
to-day  we  can  bowl  a  few  games.  That  will  be 
fine  exercise." 

"Do  the  girls  know  about  bowling?"  ques- 
tioned Ben. 

"  Not  very  much,"  answered  Dave.  "  Laura 
has  bowled  a  few  games,  I  believe.  But  it  will  be 
fun  to  teach  them,  if  we  don't  find  anything  better 
to  do." 

The  boys  walked  through  the  small  lobby  of 
the  hotel  and  into  the  smoking  room.  Here  sev- 
eral men  were  congregated,  all  talking  about  the 
storm  and  the  prospects  of  getting  away. 

"  The  snow  is  nearly  two  feet  deep  on  the 
level,"  said  one  man;  "but  the  wind  has  carried 
it  in  all  directions  so  that  while  the  road  is  almost 
bare  in  some  spots  there  are  drifts  six  and  eight 
feet  high  in  others." 

"  Looks  as  if  we  were  snowed  in  good  and 
proper,"  returned  another  man.  "  I  wanted  to 
get  to  one  of  those  stores  across  the  way,  and  I 


WHAT  BONES  HAD  TO  TELL  127 

had  about  all  I  could  do  to  make  it.  In  one  place 
I  got  Into  snow  up  to  my  waist,  and  it  was  all  I 
could  do  to  get  out  of  it." 

"  Doesn't  look  like  much  of  a  chance  to  get 
away  from  here,"  observed  Roger. 

**  We  are  booked  to  stay  right  where  we  are," 
declared  Phil;  "  so  we  might  as  well  make  the  best 
of  it." 

"  Let  us  go  out  to  the  barn  and  see  what  Wash 
Bones  has  to  say,"  suggested  Dave.  "  He  has 
probably  been  watching  the  storm  and  knows  just 
how  things  are  on  the  road." 

*'  All  right,"  returned  Ben.  "  But  I  am  going 
to  put  on  my  cap  and  overcoat  before  I  go.  It 
must  be  pretty  cold  out  there  even  though  they 
do  keep  the  doors  shut." 

"  Yes,  I'll  get  my  cap  and  overcoat,  too,"  said 
Dave.  Phil  and  Roger  had  taken  their  things  up 
to  the  third  floor  the  night  before,  and  now  had 
their  overcoats  over  their  arms. 

The  large  rack  in  the  hallway  of  the  hotel  was 
well  filled  with  garments  of  various  kinds,  so  that 
Ben  had  to  make  quite  a  search  before  he  found 
his  own  things.  In  the  meantime,  Dave  was  also 
hunting,  but  without  success. 

"  That's  mighty  queer,"  remarked  the  latter. 
"  I  don't  seem  to  see  my  cap  or  my  overcoat  any- 
where." 


128  DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

"  Oh,  it  must  be  there,  Dave,"  cried  his  chum. 
"  Just  take  another  look.  Maybe  the  overcoat 
has  gotten  folded  under  another." 

Both  youths  made  a  thorough  search,  which 
lasted  so  long  that  Phil  and  Roger  came  into  the 
hallway  to  ascertain  what  was  keeping  them. 

"  Dave  can't  find  his  overcoat  or  his  cap,"  ex- 
plained Ben.  "  We've  hunted  everywhere  for 
them." 

"  Didn't  you  take  them  up-stairs  last  night?" 
questioned  Phil. 

"  No,  I  left  them  on  this  rack.  And  Ben  left 
his  things  here,  too,"  replied  Dave.  "  I  can't 
understand  it  at  all;  "  and  he  looked  worried. 

"  Maybe  Laura  saw  them  and  took  them  up- 
stairs, thinking  they  wouldn't  be  safe  here,"  sug- 
gested Roger. 

*'  I  hardly  think  that,  Roger.  However,  as  the 
coat  and  cap  are  not  here,  maybe  I'd  better  ask 
her." 

Another  search  for  the  missing  things  followed, 
Dave  looking  through  the  parlor  and  the  other 
rooms  on  the  ground  floor  of  the  hotel,  and  even 
peeping  into  the  restaurant,  where  a  number  of 
folks  were  at  breakfast.  Then  he  went  upstairs 
and  knocked  softly  on  the  door  of  the  room  which 
Laura  and  Jessie  were  occupying. 

"  Who  is  it?  "  asked  his  sister,  in  a  somewhat 
sleepy  tone  of  voice. 


WHAT  BONES  HAD  TO  TELL         129 

"  It's  I,  Laura,"  answered  her  brother.  "  I 
want  to  know  if  you  brought  my  cap  and  overcoat 
upstairs  last  night." 

"  Why,  no,  Dave,  I  didn't  touch  them.  What 
IS  the  matter  —  can't  you  find  them?  " 

"  No,  and  I've  hunted  high  and  low,"  he  re- 
turned. "  I  don't  suppose  any  of  the  other  girls 
or  the  doctor  touched  them  ?  " 

"  I  am  quite  sure  they  did  not."  Laura  came 
to  the  door  and  peeped  out  at  him.  "  Are  you 
boys  all  up  already?  " 

"  Yes,  we  went  down-stairs  a  little  while  ago. 
We  were  going  out  to  the  barn,  and  that's  why  I 
wanted  my  overcoat  and  cap.  They  seem  to  be 
gone,  and  I  don't  know  what  to  make  of  it;  "  and 
now  Dave's  face  showed  increased  anxiety. 

"What's  the  trouble?"  came  from  Jessie,  and 
then  Laura  closed  the  door  again.  Dave  heard 
some  conversation  between  all  of  the  girls,  and 
then  between  Laura  and  Mrs.  Renwick.  Then 
his  sister  came  to  the  door  once  more. 

**  None  of  us  touched  your  cap  or  overcoat, 
Dave,"  she  said.  "  Isn't  it  queer?  Do  you  sup- 
pose they  have  been  stolen?  " 

"  I  hope  not,  Laura.  I'm  going  down  and  sec 
the  hotel  proprietor  about  it." 

The  proprietor  of  the  hostelry  was  not  on  hand, 
but  his  son,  a  young  fellow  of  about  Dave's  age, 
was  behind  the  desk,  and  he  listened  with  interest 


130     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

to  what  our  hero  had  to  say.  Then  he,  too,  insti- 
tuted a  search  for  the  missing  things. 

*'  I  can't  understand  this  any  more  than  you 
can,"  he  announced,  after  this  additional  search 
had  proved  a  failure.  "  I  didn't  know  we  had 
any  thieves  around  here.  Are  you  sure  you  left 
the  coat  and  cap  on  this  rack?  " 

"  Yes,  I  am  positive,"  announced  Dave. 

**  I  saw  him  do  it,  when  I  placed  my  own  things 
on  the  same  rack,"  declared  Ben. 

"  But  you  found  your  coat  and  cap  all  right?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  It's  mighty  queer,"  declared  the  young  clerk, 
shaking  his  head.  "  I  guess  I'd  better  tell  my 
father  about  this." 

The  hotel  proprietor  was  called,  and  he  at  once 
instituted  a  number  of  inquiries  concerning  the 
missing  things.  But  all  these  proved  of  no  avail. 
No  one  had  taken  Dave's  wearing  apparel,  and 
none  of  the  hired  help  had  seen  any  one  else  take 
the  things  or  wear  them. 

"  You  should  have  taken  your  things  up  to  your 
room  last  night,"  declared  the  hotel  proprietor, 
during  the  course  of  the  search.  "  It's  a  bad  idea 
to  leave  things  on  a  rack  like  this,  with  so  many 
strangers  coming  and  going  all  the  time." 

He  agreed  to  lend  Dave  a  coat  and  a  hat,  and, 
donning  these,  the  youth  walked  through  the  little 


WHAT  BONES  HAD  TO  TELL         131 

shelter  leading  to  the  stables,  accompanied  by  his 
chums. 

"  If  those  things  are  not  recovered  I  think  you 
can  hold  the  hotel  man  responsible,"  remarked 
Roger. 

"  Just  what  I  think,"  put  in  Ben.  "  That  over- 
coat was  a  pretty  nice  one,  Dave ;  and  the  cap  was 
a  peach." 

"  I'll  see  what  can  be  done,  in  case  the  things 
don't  turn  up,"  returned  our  hero. 

They  found  Washington  Bones  down  among 
the  stablemen,  taking  care  of  his  horses. 

"  Well,  Wash,  what  are  the  prospects  for  get- 
ting away  this  morning?  "  questioned  Roger. 

"  Ain't  no  prospects,  so  far  as  I  kin  see,"  de- 
clared the  colored  driver.  "  This  suah  am  one 
terrible  sto'm.  I  neber  seen  the  like  befo'  aroun' 
heah." 

"  Then  you  don't  think  we're  going  to  get  back 
to  Crumville  to-day?  "  questioned  Ben. 

"  No-slr.  Why,  If  we  was  to  try  It  we'd  suah 
git  stuck  befo'  we  got  out  ob  dis  town.  Some  ob 
de  drifts  Is  right  to  de  top  of  de  fust  story  ob  de 
houses."  Washington  Bones  looked  question- 
Ingly  at  Dave.  "  How  did  you  like  your  trip  out- 
side las'  night?"  he  queried.  "Must  ha'  been 
some  walkin',  t'rough  sech  deep  snow." 

"  My  trip  outside  ?  "  questioned  Dave,  with  a 


132     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

puzzled  look.  "  What  do  you  mean,  Wash?  I 
didn't  go  out  last  night." 

"  You  didn't  I  "  exclaimed  the  colored  driver  in 
wonder.  *'  Didn't  I  see  you  leavin'  de  hotel  las' 
night  'bout  half  pas'  'levin  or  a  little  later?  " 

"  You  certainly  did  not.  I  was  in  bed  and 
sound  asleep  by  half  past  eleven,"  answered  Dave. 

"  Well  now,  don't  dat  beat  all !  "  cried  the 
colored  man,  his  eyes  rolling  in  wonder.  "  I  went 
outside  jest  to  take  a  las'  look  aroun'  befo'  turn- 
ing in,  and  I  seen  a  young  fellow  and  a  man  leavin' 
de  hotel.  Dey  come  right  pas'  where  a  lantern 
was  hung  up  on  the  porch,  and  when  dat  light 
struck  on  de  young  fellow's  face  I  thought  suah 
as  you're  bo'n  it  was  you.  Why,  he  looked  like 
you,  and  he  had  on  de  same  kind  of  cap  and  over- 
coat dat  you  was  a-wearin'  yeste'day.  I  see 
you've  got  on  something  different  to-day." 

"  A  fellow  who  looked  like  me  and  who  had  on 
my  cap  and  my  overcoat  I  "  ejaculated  Dave.  He 
turned  to  his  chums.  "What  do  you  make  of 
that?" 

"  Maybe  It  was  Ward  PortonI  "  cried  Roger. 

"  If  It  was,  he  must  have  run  away  and  taken 
Dave's  cap  and  overcoat  with  him,"  added  Ben. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

MOVEMENTS   OF   THE   ENEMY 

As  my  readers  doubtless  surmise,  It  was  Ward 
Porton  who  had  made  oif  with  Dave's  overcoat 
and  cap. 

Leaving  the  room  which  they  occupied  on  the 
third  floor  locked,  the  young  moving-picture  actor 
and  his  disreputable  companion  had  stolen  down 
the  two  flights  of  stairs  leading  to  the  lower  hall- 
way. Fortunately  for  them,  no  one  had  been 
present,  and  it  had  been  comparatively  easy  for 
Porton  to  find  Dave's  things  and  put  them  on. 
Tim  Crapsey  already  wore  his  own  overcoat  and 
hat.  ^ 

"  We  might  as  well  provide  ourselves  with  rub- 
bers while  we  are  at  it,"  remarked  Crapsey,  as 
his  gaze  fell  upon  a  number  of  such  footwear  rest- 
ing near  the  rack,  and  thereupon  each  donned 
a  pair  of  rubbers  that  fitted  him. 

Thus  equipped  they  had  stolen  out  of  the  hotel 
through  a  side  hallway  without  any  one  in  the 
building  being  aware  of  their  departure. 

"  We're  going  to  have  a  fight  of  it  to  get  to 
133 


134  DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

the  railroad  station,"  muttered  Ward  Porton,  as 
the  fury  of  the  storm  struck  both  of  them. 

"  It's  lucky  I  know  the  way,"  croaked  Tim 
Crapsey.  And  then,  as  they  passed  over  the 
porch  in  the  light  of  the  lantern  by  which  Wash- 
ington Bones  had  seen  Porton,  the  man  went  on : 
"  Say,  what's  the  matter  with  us  stoppin'  at  some 
drinkin'  place  and  gittin'  a  little  liquor?  " 

"  Not  now,"  interposed  his  companion,  hastily. 
"  We  want  to  make  our  get-away  without  being 
seen  if  we  possibly  can." 

"  Oh,  nobody  will  know  us,"  grumbled  Crapsey, 
who  had  a  great  fondness  for  liquor,  "  and  the 
stuff  may  prove  a  life-saver  if  we  git  stuck  some 
place  in  the  snow." 

The  realization  that  they  might  become  snow- 
bound on  the  way  to  Pepsico  made  Porton  pause, 
and  in  the  end  he  agreed  to  visit  a  drinking  place 
several  blocks  away,  which,  by  the  light  shining 
dimly  through  the  window,  they  could  see  was  still 
open. 

"  But  now  look  here,  Tim,  you're  not  going  to 
overdo  it,"  said  the  former  moving-picture  actor, 
warnlngly.  "  If  we  are  going  to  pull  this  stunt 
off  you  are  going  to  keep  perfectly  sober.  It's 
one  drink  and  no  more !  " 

"  But  I'm  goin'  to  git  a  flask  to  take  along," 
pleaded  the  man. 

"  You  can  do  that.     But  I  give  you  fair  warn- 


MOVEMENTS  OF  THE  ENEMY        135 

ing  that  you've  got  to  go  slow  In  using  the  stuff. 
Otherwise  we  are  going  to  part  company.  In 
such  a  game  as  we  are  trying  to  put  o^er,  a  man 
has  got  to  have  his  wits  about  him." 

Having  procured  a  drink,  and  also  a  package 
of  cigarettes  and  a  flask  of  liquor,  the  two  set 
off  through  the  storm  for  the  railroad  station,  a 
mile  and  a  quarter  away.  It  was  a  hard  and  tire- 
some journey,  and  more  than  once  they  had  to 
stop  to  rest  and  figure  out  where  they  were. 
Twice  Tim  Crapsey  insisted  upon  it  that  he  must 
have  a  *'  bracer  "  from  the  flask. 

"  I'm  froze  through  and  through,"  he  declared. 

"  Well,  I'm  half  frozen  myself,"  retorted 
Ward  Porton,  and  when  he  saw  the  man  drinking 
he  could  not  resist  the  temptation  to  take  some  of 
the  liquor  himself. 

"  We'll  be  in  a  fine  pickle  if  we  get  to  Pepsico 
and  then  find  that  the  train  isn't  coming  through," 
remarked  the  former  moving-picture  actor,  when 
about  three-quarters  of  the  journey  had  been  cov- 
ered and  they  were  resting  in  the  shelter  of  a 
roadside  barn. 

"  That's  a  chance  we've  got  to  take,"  returned 
his  companion.  "  But  I  don't  think  the  train  will 
be  stormbound.  Most  of  the  tracks  through  here 
are  on  an  embankment,  and  the  wind  would  keep 
them  pretty  clear." 

It  was  after  one  o'clock  when  the  pair  finally 


136     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

gained  the  little  railroad  station  at  Pepsico.  They 
found  over  a  dozen  men  and  several  women  pres- 
ent, all  resting  in  the  tiny  waiting-room,  trusting 
that  the  train  would  soon  put  in  an  appearance. 

"  The  wires  are  down  so  they  can't  tell  exactly 
where  the  train  is,"  said  one  of  the  men,  in  reply  to 
a  question  from  Porton.  "  They  are  hoping, 
though,  that  It  isn't  many  miles  away." 

From  time  to  time  one  of  the  would-be  pas- 
sengers would  go  out  on  the  tracks  to  look  and 
listen,  and  at  last  one  of  these  announced  that  a 
train  was  on  the  way. 

"  But  I  can't  tell  whether  It's  a  passenger  train 
or  a  freight,"  he  said. 

"  Let's  git  on  it  even  if  it's  a  freight,"  said  Tim 
Crapsey  to  Ward  Porton.  "  She'll  take  us  to 
Crumville  jest  as  well." 

'*  All  right,  provided  we  can  get  aboard." 

Slowly  the  train  puffed  in  and  proved  to  be  a 
freight.  On  the  rear,  however,  was  a  passenger 
car,  hooked  on  at  the  last  station. 

"  The  regular  passenger  train  is  stalled  In  the 
cut  beyond  Breckford,"  announced  the  conductor 
of  the  freight,  "  and  there's  no  telling  when  she'll 
get  out.  If  you  folks  want  to  risk  getting 
through,  get  aboard ; "  and  at  this  Invitation  all 
those  waiting  at  the  station  lost  no  time  In  board- 
ing the  mixed  train.  Then,  with  a  great  deal  of 
puffing  and  blowing,  the  locomotive  moved  slowly 


Slowly  thk  tkain  puffed  in,  and  proved  to  be  a  freight. 
Page  136. 


MOVEMENTS  OF  THE  ENEMY         137 

away  from  PepsIco,  dragging  the  long  line  of  cars, 
some  full  and  some  empty,  behind  it. 

Long  before  Crumville  was  reached  it  became 
a  question  as  to  whether  the  train  would  get 
through  or  not.  The  snow  was  coming  down  as 
thickly  as  ever,  and  the  wind  whistled  with  in- 
creased violence. 

"  I  don't  believe  we'll  get  much  farther  than 
Crumville,"  announced  the  conductor,  when  he 
came  through  to  collect  tickets.  "  We  should 
have  passed  at  least  two  trains  coming  the  other 
way.  But  nothing  has  come  along,  and  that 
would  seem  to  show  that  the  line  is  blocked  ahead 
of  us." 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  mixed  train  did  not 
get  even  as  far  as  Dave's  home  town.  Running 
was  all  right  so  long  as  the  tracks  were  up  on  the 
embankment,  but  as  soon  as  they  reached  the  level 
of  the  surrounding  country  the  snow  became  so 
deep  that  several  times  the  train  had  to  be  backed 
up  so  that  a  fresh  start  might  be  made.  Then, 
when  they  came  to  a  cut  not  over  three  feet  deep, 
just  on  the  outskirts  of  the  town,  the  engineer 
found  it  utterly  impossible  to  get  any  farther. 

"  We'll  have  to  have  a  snow-plough  to  get  us 
out,"  he  declared,  "  or  otherwise  we'll  have  to 
remain  here  until  the  storm  clears  away." 

By  listening  to  the  conversation  of  some  of  the 
people  in  the  car,  Porton  and  Crapsey  learned  that 


138  DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

it  was  only  a  short  distance  to  the  town,  and  they 
followed  several  men  and  a  woman  when  they  left 
the  train  to  finish  the  journey  on  foot. 

"  I  know  where  we  are  now,"  said  Porton,  pres- 
ently, as  he  and  his  companion  struck  a  well-de- 
fined road  leading  past  the  Wadsworth  jewelry 
works.  "  We'll  be  right  in  Crumville  in  a  little 
while  more." 

Ward  Porton  knew  very  well  that  he  must  not 
show  himself  in  Crumville  any  more  than  was 
necessary.  Consequently,  as  soon  as  they  came 
within  sight  of  the  town  proper,  he  suggested  that 
they  look  around  for  some  place  where  they  might 
remain  until  daybreak. 

"  Right  you  are,"  answered  Tim  Crapsey. 
And  a  little  later,  coming  to  a  large  barn,  they 
tried  the  door,  and,  finding  it  unlocked,  entered 
and  proceeded  to  make  themselves  comfortable  in 
some  hay,  using  several  horse  blankets  for  cover- 
ings. 

Here  both  of  them,  being  thoroughly  ex- 
hausted, fell  sound  asleep  and  did  not  awaken  until 
it  was  daylight. 

"  Now  we've  got  to  lay  our  plans  with  great 
care,"  announced  Ward  Porton.  "  We  can't 
go  at  this  in  any  haphazard  way.  -Even  though 
it  may  prove  comparatively  easy  to  get  our  hands 
on  those  miniatures,  it  will  be  another  story  to  get 
away  with  them  in  such  a  storm  as  this,  with  the 


MOVEMENTS  OF  THE  ENEMY        139 

railroad  and  every  other  means  of  communica- 
tion tied  up." 

"  This  storm  Is  jest  the  thing  that's  goin'  to 
help  us,"  answered  Crapsey.  "  With  all  the  tele- 
graph and  telephone  wires  down  the  authorities 
won't  be  able  to  send  out  any  alarm.  And  with 
the  snow  so  deep,  if  we  git  any  kind  of  a  start  at 
all  it  will  be  next  to  impossible  for  'em  to  follow 
us  up." 

A  discussion  of  ways  and  means  followed  that 
lasted  the.  best  part  of  an  hour.  Then,  with 
money  provided  by  Porton,  and  with  many  an 
admonition  that  he  must  not  for  the  present  drink 
another  drop,  Tim  Crapsey  was  allowed  to  depart 
for  Crumville. 

"  And  you  be  very  careful  of  how  you  go  at 
things,"  warned  Porton. 

Tim  Crapsey  had  a  delicate  mission  to  perform. 
First  of  all  he  was  to  size  up  matters  around  the 
homes  of  the  Wadsworths  and  the  Basswoods, 
and  then  he  was  to  do  what  he  could  to  hire  a 
cutter  and  a  fast  horse  at  the  local  livery  stable. 
This  done,  he  was  to  procure  something  to  eat 
both  for  himself  and  for  his  companion. 

As  time  went  by  Ward  Porton,  on  the  alert  for 
the  possible  appearance  of  the  owner  of  the  barn, 
became  more  and  more  anxious,  and  twice  he  went 
out  in  the  roadway  to  see  if  his  companion  was 
anywhere  in  sight. 


I40     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

"  It  would  be  just  like  him  to  go  off  and  get  full 
of  liquor,"  muttered  the  young  man,  with  a  scowl. 
"  I  really  ought  to  part  company  with  him.  But 
when  he  is  perfectly  sober  he  certainly  is  a  slick 
one,"  he  continued  meditatively. 

To  pass  the  time  the  young  man  made  a 
thorough  search  of  the  overcoat  which  he  had 
stolen  from  Dave.  He  had  already  discovered  a 
fine  pair  of  gloves  and  had  worn  them.  Now, 
in  an  inner  pocket,  he  located  a  card-case  contain- 
ing half  a  dozen  addresses,  some  postage  stamps, 
and  some  of  Dave's  visiting  cards.  There  were 
also  two  cards  which  had  been  blank,  and  on  each 
of  these,  written  in  Dave's  bold  hand,  was  the 
following : 

Signature  of 
David  Porter, 
^      Crumville. 

"  Hello  I  what's  this?  "  mused  the  former  mov- 
ing-picture actor,  as  he  gazed  at  the  written  cards. 
Then  suddenly  his  face  brightened.  "  Oh,  I  see ! 
It's  one  of  those  cards  that  I  heard  about  —  the 
kind  he  has  been  distributing  among  the  store- 
keepers In  an  effort  to  catch  me.  Say,  one  of 
these  may  come  in  handy  when  I  go  for  those 
miniatures  I  "  he  continued. 

At  last  he  heard  a  noise  outside,  and  looking  in 
that  direction  saw  Tim  Crapsey  approaching  In  a 


MOVEMENTS  OF  THE  ENEMY        141 

somewhat  dilapidated  cutter,  drawn,  however,  by 
a  powerful-looking  bay  horse. 

"  Had  a  fierce  time  gittin'  this  horse,"  an- 
nounced the  man,  as  he  came  to  a  halt  beside  the 
barn.  "  The  livery  stable  man  didn't  want  to  let 
him  go  out,  and  I  had  to  tell  him  a  long  yarn  about 
somebody  bein'  sick  and  my  havin'  to  git  a  doc- 
tor. And  I  had  to  offer  him  double  price,  too  I  " 
and  at  his  own  ruse  the  man  chuckled  hoarsely. 

He  had  brought  with  him  some  sandwiches  and 
doughnuts,  and  also  a  bottle  of  hot  coffee,  and  on 
these  both  made  a  somewhat  limited  breakfast, 
the  man  washing  the  meal  down  with  another 
drink  from  his  flask. 

"  I  kept  my  word  —  I  didn't  drink  a  drop  when 
I  was  in  town,"  he  croaked.  "  But  say,  this  is 
mighty  dry  work  I  " 

"  You  keep  a  clear  head  on  your  shoulders, 
Tim,"  warned  Porton.  "  Some  day,  drink  Is  go- 
ing to  land  you  in  jail  or  In  the  grave." 

"Not  much  I"  snorted  the  man.  "I  know 
when  to  stop."  But  Porton  knew  that  this  was 
not  true. 

Another  conference  was  held,  and  Crapsey  told 
of  having  taken  a  look  around,  both  at  the  Wads- 
worth  place  and  the  Basswood  home. 

"  There  is  no  one  at  the  Basswood  place  but 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Basswood;  and  I  understand  the 
man  is  sick  in  bed,"  he  said.     "  All  the  telephone 


142     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

wires  are  out  of  commission,  but  to  make  sure 
that  the  Basswoods  couldn't  telephone  I  cut  the 
wire  that  runs  into  his  real  estate  office  —  and  I 
also  cut  the  wire  up  at  the  Wadsworth  house." 

"  Good  for  you,  Tim  I  "  returned  Ward  Por- 
ton,  and  then  he  told  of  having  found  the  two 
cards,  each  containing  Dave's  signature. 

"  That's  fine !  "  cried  the  man.  "  That  ought 
to  help  you  a  great  deal  when  you  ask  for  the 
miniatures." 

"  I  hope  it  does,"  answered  Ward  Porton, 
thoughtfully.  "  Now  let  us  go ;  the  sooner  we 
get  at  this  affair  the  better."  And  then  both  left 
the  barn,  entered  the  cutter,  and  drove  rather 
slowly  in  the  direction  of  the  Basswood  home. 


CHAPTER  XVi 

THE  RETURN  TO    CRUMVILLE 

"  If  Ward  Porton  got  my  cap  and  overcoat  he 
must  have  been  staying  at  this  hotel,"  said  Dave, 
after  the  announcement  made  by  Ben.  "  Let  us 
interview  the  proprietor  without  delay." 

He  and  his  chums  hurried  back  into  the  hotel 
and  there  met  not  only  the  proprietor  but  also  his 
son. 

"  See  here,  have  you  anybody  staying  here  who 
looks  like  me?"  demanded  our  hero  of  both  of 
them. 

"  Sure,  weVe  got  a  fellow  who  looks  like  you," 
declared  the  hotel-keeper's  son  before  his  father 
could  speak.  "  It's  a  Mr.  Jones.  He  has  a 
room  up  on  the  third  floor.  He's  here  with  an 
older  man  named  Brown." 

"  I  wish  you  would  take  me  up  to  their  room  I  " 
cried  Dave,  quickly. 

"  Whyl  what's  the  matter  now?  " 

"  I  want  to  find  out  whether  that  fellow  is  still 
here.  If  he  is  I  want  him  placed  under  arrest." 
And  then  Dave  related  a  few  of  the  particulars 
concerning  Ward  Porton  and  his  doings. 

143 


144     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

"  That  certainly  Is  a  queer  story,"  remarked 
the  hotel  proprietor.  "  I'll  go  upstairs  with 
you." 

He  led  the  way,  followed  by  Dave  and  his 
chums.  The  youths  were  much  astonished  to  see 
him  halt  at  the  door  next  to  their  own. 

"  They  don't  seem  to  be  there,  or  otherwise  they 
are  sleeping  pretty  soundly,"  remarked  the  hotel 
proprietor,  after  he  had  knocked  on  the  door 
several  times. 

"  I  guess  you  had  better  unlock  the  door,"  sug- 
gested Dave.  "  I  rather  think  you  will  find  the 
room  empty." 

A  key  was  secured  from  one  of  the  maids  and 
the  door  was  opened.  The  proprietor  gave  one 
look  Into  the  apartment. 

"  Gone  I  "  he  exclaimed.  "  Say  I  do  you  think 
they  have  run  away?  " 

"  That's  just  exactly  what  I  do  think,"  an- 
swered Dave.  "  And  that  fellow  who  looks  like 
me  most  likely  took  my  cap  and  overcoat." 

"  And  you  say  his  name  is  Porton?  He  signed 
our  register  as  WlUIam  Jones." 

"  Here's  his  hat  and  coat,"  announced  Phil, 
opening  the  door  to  a  closet.  "  Pretty  poor 
clothing  he  left  you  in  return  for  yours,  Dave," 
continued  the  shipowner's  son,  after  an  inspection. 

The  hotel  proprietor  was  very  wrathy,  declar- 


THE  RETURN  TO  CRUMVILLE        145 

ing  that  Porton  and  his  companion  owed  him  for 
three  days'  board. 

"  They're  swindlers,  that's  what  they  are  I  "  he 
cried.  "  Just  wait  till  I  land  on  them  I  I'll  put 
them  in  jail  sure  I  " 

"  I'd  willingly  give  you  that  board  money  just 
to  get  my  hands  on  Ward  Porton,"  announced 
Dave.  He  turned  to  his  chums.  "  This  sure  is 
the  limit !  First  he  goes  to  the  stores  and  gets  a 
lot  of  things  in  my  name  and  then  he  steals  my 
hat  and  overcoat  right  from  under  my  nose !  " 

"  Yes,  and  that  isn't  the  worst  of  it,"  declared 
Roger.  "  There  is  no  telling  where  he  has  gone ; 
and  even  if  you  knew,  in  this  awful  storm  it  would 
be  next  to  impossible  to  follow  him." 

All  went  below,  and  there  they  continued  to  dis- 
cuss the  situation.  In  the  midst  of  the  talk  the 
girls  came  down,  accompanied  by  Dr.  Renwick 
and  his  wife. 

"  Oh,  Dave  I  you  don't  mean  to  tell  me  that 
that  horrid  Ward  Porton  has  been  at  more  of  his 
tricks  I  "  cried  Laura. 

"  Isn't  It  perfectly  dreadful  I "  put  in  Jessie. 
"  And  to  think  he  was  right  In  this  hotel  with  us 
and  we  never  knew  it !  " 

"  That's  what  makes  me  so  angry,"  announced 
Dave.  "  If  only  I  had  clapped  my  eyes  on  him  I  " 
he  added  regretfully. 


•i46      DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

"  Well,  there's  no  use  of  crying  over  spilt 
milk,"  declared  Roger.  "  He  is  gone,  and  so 
are  Dave's  overcoat  and  his  cap,  and  that  is  all 
there  is  to  it." 

"  Speaking  of  milk  puts  me  in  mind  of  break- 
fast," put  in  Phil.  "  Now  that  the  others  are 
downstairs  don't  you  think  we  had  better  have 
something  to  eat?  " 

All  were  agreeable,  and  soon  they  were  seated 
at  a  large  table  in  the  dining  room,  in  company 
with  the  doctor  and  Mrs.  Renwick.  Here,  while 
eating  their  breakfast,  they  discussed  the  situation 
from  every  possible  standpoint,  but  without  ar- 
riving at  any  satisfactory  conclusion. 

"  Porton  must  have  seen  us  when  we  came  up 
to  the  rooms,"  said  Dave  to  his  chums.  "  He 
probably  heard  me  speak  about  leaving  my  cap 
and  overcoat  downstairs,  and  he  just  took  a  fiend- 
ish delight  in  walking  off  with  them  and  leaving 
his  old  duds  behind.  Oh,  he  certainly  is  a 
peach  I " 

Had  there  been  the  slightest  let-up  in  the  bliz- 
zard, Dave  and  his  chums  would  have  gone  out  on 
a  hunt  around  the  town  for  Porton  and  his  un- 
known companion.  But  with  the  wind  blowing 
almost  a  hurricane,  and  the  snow  coming  down  as 
thickly  as  ever.  Dr.  Renwick  told  them  that  they 
had  better  remain  indoors. 

"  It   isn't   likely   that   they   stayed   anywhere 


THE  RETURN  TO  CRUMVILLE        147 

around  here,  fearing  detection,"  said  the  phy- 
sician. "  They  probably  put  a  good  distance  be- 
tween themselves  and  this  hotel.  And  to  go  out 
in  such  a  storm  as  this  might  make  some  of  you 
sick." 

"  Oh,  well,  what  of  that?  We  have  a  doctor 
handy,"  answered  Dave,  whimsically.  "  Just  the 
same,  I  guess  we  had  better  remain  where  we 
are,"  he  added,  with  a  deep  sigh. 

It  was  not  until  the  following  morning  that  the 
wind  died  down  and  the  snow  ceased  to  fall.  In 
the  meantime,  the  young  folks  did  what  they  could 
to  entertain  themselves,  the  girls  playing  on  the 
piano  in  the  hotel  parlor,  and  the  boys  later  on  tak- 
ing them  to  the  bowling  alleys  next  door  and  initi- 
ating them  Into  the  mysteries  of  the  game.  Dave 
was  a  good  bowler  and  so  was  Roger,  each  be- 
ing able  occasionally  to  make  a  score  of  two  hun- 
dred. But  Ben  and  Phil  could  not  do  much  bet- 
ter than  one  hundred,  while  none  of  the  girls 
got  over  eighty. 

"  Now  that  the  snow  has  stopped  falling,  I  sup- 
pose we  had  better  try  to  get  back  to  Crumville," 
said  Laura  to  her  brother. 

"  Yes,  we  ought  to  get  back,"  put  In  Jessie. 
"  I  suppose  our  folks  are  dreadfully  worried  about 
us." 

"  It  was  too  bad  that  you  couldn't  send  some 
sort  of  word,"  came  from  Belle.     "  If  you  could 


148     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

only  do  that  we  could  stay  here  until  the  roads 
were  well  broken." 

"  In  the  West  we  don't  pretend  to  go  out  in 
such  a  storm,"  remarked  Cora  Dartmore.  "  But, 
of  course,  our  distances  are  greater,  and  we  have 
so  few  landmarks  that  it  is  an  easy  thing  to  get 
lost." 

"  I  don't  think  we  are  going  to  get  away  from 
here  in  any  great  hurry,"  replied  Dave.  "  It  is 
true  the  snow  has  stopped  coming  down  and  the 
sun  is  breaking  through  the  clouds ;  but  I  am  quite 
sure  the  drifts  on  the  road  between  here  and 
Crumville  are  much  higher  than  we  can  manage, 
even  with  the  powerful  horses  we  have.  We'll 
have  to  wait  until  the  roads  are  more  or  less 
broken." 

Our  hero  was  right  about  not  getting  away. 
They  went  down  to  the  stables  and  interviewed 
Washington  Bones  and  several  of  the  other  driv- 
ers present,  and  all  agreed  that  it  would  not  be 
possible  to  get  very  far  beyond  the  town  limits. 
This  news  made  the  young  folks  chafe  consider- 
ably, but  there  was  nothing  to  be  done ;  so  for  an- 
other day  they  had  to  content  themselves  as  best 
they  could.  During  that  time  the  boys  did  their 
best  to  send  some  message  to  Crumville,  but  with- 
out success,  for  all  of  the  telephone  and  telegraph 
wires  were  still  down  and  nothing  had  been  done 
to  mend  them. 


THE  RETUR>J  TO  CRUMVILLE        149 

The  next  morning,  however,  things  looked  a 
little  brighter.  The  weather  continued  to  im- 
prove, and  several  horse  teams,  as  well  as  an  ox 
team,  came  through  on  the  road  from  the  direc- 
tion of  Crumville. 

"  The  road  ain't  none  too  good  so  far  as  I 
could  see,"  announced  one  of  the  drivers  to  Dave. 
"  But  if  you  take  your  time  and  watch  where 
you're  going,  maybe  you  can  get  through." 

"  Oh,  let  us  try  it  anyway !  "  cried  Laura,  who 
was  present.  "  If  we  find  we  can't  make  it  we 
can  come  back  here,  or  else  stop  at  some  other 
place  along  the  way." 

It  was  finally  agreed  that  they  should  make  the 
effort,  and  they  started  about  ten  o'clock.  The 
sun  was  shining  with  dazzling  brilliancy  on  the 
snow,  and  with  no  wind  blowing  it  was  consider- 
ably warmer  than  it  had  been  on  the  journey  to 
Lamont.  All  of  the  young  folks  were  in  good 
humor,  Dave  for  the  time  being  dismissing  from 
his  mind  the  trouble  occasioned  by  the  loss  of  his 
cap  and  overcoat. 

As  they  drove  away  from  the  town  they  could 
see  the  effects  of  the  great  wind.  In  some  spots 
the  road  was  almost  bare  of  snow,  while  in  others 
there  were  drifts  ten  and  twelve  feet  in  height. 
To  drive  through  such  drifts  was,  of  course,  im- 
possible ;  so  they  had  to  make  long  detours  through 
the  surrounding  fields.     At  such  places  the  horses, 


150     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

of  course,  had  to  be  driven  with  extra  care,  for 
no  one  wanted  the  sleigh  to  land  in  some  hole  or 
be  overturned.  Occasionally,  when  the  turnout 
was  on  a  dangerous  slant,  the  girls  would  shriek 
and  the  boys  would  hold  their  breath;  but  each 
time  Washington  Bones  was  equal  to  the  occa- 
sion and  brought  them  through  safely. 

By  noon  they  had  covered  five  miles,  and  then 
they  stopped  to  rest  at  a  village  where  all  pro- 
cured a  good  hot  dinner.  Then  they  went  for- 
ward once  again,  this  time  through  a  long  patch 
of  timber. 

"  If  we  gits  through  dat,  we'll  be  all  right," 
declared  the  colored  driver. 

The  snow  lay  deep  in  the  woods,  but  the  horses 
proved  equal  to  the  occasion,  and  at  last  the  tim- 
ber was  left  behind  and  they  came  out  on  a  ridge 
road  where  the  snow  was  only  a  fev/  inches  in 
depth.  Here  they  were  able  to  make  fairly  good 
time,  so  that  three  o'clock  found  them  almost 
within  sight  of  the  outskirts  of  Crumville. 

"  We're  going  to  make  it  easily,"  declared  Ben. 
But  he  proved  to  be  mistaken,  for  a  little  distance 
farther  on  they  ran  again  into  the  deep  snow  and 
had  to  pass  around  one  drift  after  another,  finally 
going  clear  across  several  fields  to  another  high- 
way. As  a  result  it  was  well  after  dark  before 
they  gained  the  road  leading  past  the  Wadsworth 
jewelry  works. 


THE  RETURN  TO  CRUMVILLE        151 

"  Well,  this  looks  like  home,  anyway,"  declared 
Dave  to  Jessie,  as  he  nodded  in  the  direction  of 
her  father's  establishment. 

"  Yes,  and  I'm  glad  of  it,"  returned  the  girl. 
"  Gracious  I  it  seems  to  me  that  we  have  been  on 
the  road  for  a  week  I  " 

"  We  can  be  thankful  that  we  got  through  so 
easily,  Jessie.     Wash  is  certainly  some  driver." 

On  account  of  another  big  drift  they  had  to 
pass  to  still  another  road,  and  this  brought  them 
finally  to  the  street  leading  past  the  Basswood 
home. 

"  If  it's  all  the  same  to  you  folks,  I'll  get  off  at 
my  place,"  announced  Ben.  "  I  suppose  my 
father  and  mother  are  worrying  about  me." 

"  Go  ahead,  Ben,"  returned  Dave.  And  then 
he  added  quickly :  "  I  trust  you  find  your  father 
is  better." 

With  a  flourish  Washington  Bones  drew  up  the 
panting  horses  in  front  of  the  Basswood  place. 
Just  as  Ben  leaped  from  the  sleigh  the  front  door 
of  the  house  opened  and  Mrs.  Basswood  ap- 
peared. 

"Ben!  Ben  I  is  that  you?"  cried  the  youth's 
parent,  quickly. 

"  Yes,  Mother,"  he  answered  cheerily.  "  Don't 
worry.     I  am  all  right." 

Forgetful  that  she  had  on  only  thin  shoes,  and 
no  covering  over  her  head  or  shoulders,  Mrs. 


152      DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

Basswood  ran  directly  down  to  the  big  sleigh. 
She  glanced  over  the  occupants  and  her  eyes  fas- 
tened instantly  on  Dave. 

"  Dave,  have  you  been  with  Ben  since  you  went 
away?  "  she  queried.  "  You  haven't  been  to  our 
house?  " 

'  Why  certainly  I  haven't  been  here,  Mrs.  Bass- 
wood,"  he  returned  promptly. 

"  Then  it's  true  I  It's  true  I "  she  wailed, 
wringing  her  hands. 

"What's  true,  Mother?"  demanded  the  son. 

"The  miniatures!  They're  gone!  They 
have  been  stolen!  That  young  man  who  looks 
like  Dave  was  here  and  took  them  away!  " 


CHAPTER  XVI 

HOW  THE   MINIATURES  DISAPPEARED 

"  The  miniatures  are  gone  ?  "  came  from  Ben 
Basswood  in  astonishment. 

*'  Yes,  Ben,  gone !  "  and  the  mother  wrung  her 
hands  in  despair. 

"  Do  you  mean  to  say  Ward  Porton  dared  to 
come  here  and  impersonate  me  and  get  them?" 
cried  Dave. 

"  It  must  have  been  that  fellow,  Dave.  He 
looked  exactly  like  you.  That  is  why  I  just  asked 
you  if  you  had  been  to  our  house." 

"  I  have  been  with  Ben  and  the  others  since 
we  went  on  our  sleigh-ride,"  said  our  hero. 
"  This  is  terrible  I     How  did  it  happen?  " 

"  Come  into  the  house  and  I'll  tell  you  all  about 
it,"  answered  Mrs.  Basswood.  Her  face  was 
drawn  with  anxiety,  and  all  could  see  that  she  was 
suffering  keenly. 

"  And  how  is  father?  "  questioned  Ben,  as  the 
party  trooped  up  the  piazza  steps  and  into  the 
house. 

*'  He  isn't  so  well,  Ben,  as  he  was  before  you 
153 


154     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

went  away.  Oh,  dear !  and  to  think  how  easily  I 
was  duped!  " 

Dave  had  told  Washington  Bones  to  wait  for 
them,  and,  entering  the  parlor  of  the  Basswood 
home,  the  others  listened  to  what  the  lady  of  the 
house  had  to  tell. 

"  Your  father  had  just  had  another  bad  turn, 
and  the  nurse  and  I  were  doing  what  we  could 
for  him  when  the  door-bell  rang,"  she  began.  "  I 
went  downstairs,  and  there  stood  somebody  that 
I  thought  was  Dave.  I  asked  him  into  the  house 
and  he  at  once  wanted  to  know  how  Mr.  Bass- 
wood  was  getting  along." 

"  When  was  this?  "  questioned  Ben. 

"  This  was  two  days  ago,  and  just  about  noon 
time." 

"  Two  days  ago !  "  repeated  Roger.  "  Then 
Porton  must  have  come  here  right  after  leaving 
the  hotel  in  Lamont.  How  ever  did  he  get 
here?" 

"  Maybe  he  took  that  train  that  got  through 
from  Pepsico,"  answered  Phil.  "  You  remember 
we  heard  that  quite  a  few  people  made  that  train." 

"  Let  us  hear  about  the  miniatures,"  broke  in 
Ben,  impatiently. 

"  Well,  he  came  in,  as  I  said,  and  asked  about 
Mr.  Basswood's  health.  Then  he  told  me  that  he 
was  in  a  great  hurry  —  that  a  certain  famous  art 
critic  had  called  on  Mr.  Wadsworth,  and,  having 


HOW  THE  MINIATURES  DISAPPEARED     155 

heard  about  the  Enos  miniatures,  was  very  anx- 
ious to  see  them.  He  told  me  that  the  art  critic 
had  thought  of  coming  over  with  him,  but  Mr. 
Wadsworth  had  said  that  it  might  disturb  Mr. 
Basswood  too  much  to  have  the  miniatures  ex- 
amined in  our  house.  The  art  critic  did  not  want 
to  become  snowbound  in  Crumville,  so  he  was 
only  going  to  stay  until  the  four  o'clock  afternoon 
train.  The  young  man  said  Mr.  Wadsworth 
wanted  to  know  if  we  would  allow  him  to  take 
the  miniatures  over  to  the  Wadsworth  house,  and 
that  he  would  bring  them  back  safely,  either  that 
evening  or  the  next  morning." 

"  Oh,  Mother  I  didn't  you  suspect  it  might  be 
a  trick? "  questioned  Ben,  anxiously.  "  You 
knew  how  this  Ward  Porton  has  been  imperson- 
ating Dave." 

"  Yes,  yes,  Ben,  I  know,"  answered  Mrs.  Bass- 
wood,  again  wringing  her  hands.  "  And  I  should 
have  been  more  careful.  But  you  know  I  was 
very  much  upset  on  account  of  the  bad  turn  your 
father  had  had.  Then,  too,  the  young  man  threw 
me  off  my  guard  by  asking  me  if  I  had  one  of 
those  cards  which  Dave  had  distributed  among  the 
storekeepers  —  the  one  with  his  autograph  on  it. 

"  I  said  '  no,'  "  but  told  him  I  was  very  well  ac- 
quainted with  his  handwriting.  Then  he  said  he 
would  write  out  a  card  for  me,  adding,  with  a 
laugh,  that  he  wanted  me  to  be  sure  he  was  really 


156     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

Dave.  He  drew  a  blank  card  out  of  his  pocket 
and  turned  to  a  table  to  write  on  it  and  then 
handed  it  to  me.  Here  is  the  card  now;  "  and, 
going  to  the  mantelpiece,  the  lady  of  the  house 
produced  it. 

"  One  of  the  cards  that  I  left  in  the  overcoat 
that  was  stolen !  "  exclaimed  Dave.  "  He  didn't 
write  this  at  all,  Mrs.  Basswood.  That  rascal 
stole  my  overcoat  and  some  of  these  cards  were  in 
it.     He  simply  pretended  to  write  on  it." 

"  Well,  I  was  sure  it  was  your  handwriting, 
and  that  made  me  feel  easy  about  the  fellow  being 
you." 

"  But  you  knew  I  was  with  Ben  and  the  others 
on  the  sleigh-ride,"  broke  in  Dave. 

"  Oh,  I  forgot  to  state  that  when  he  came  in  he 
explained  that  you  were  all  stormbound  at  the 
hotel  in  Lamont  and  that,  as  the  telephone  and 
telegraph  wires  were  all  down,  he  had  managed 
to  get  to  Pepsico  and  reach  Crumville  on  a  freight 
train,  doing  this  so  that  we  and  the  Wadsworths 
would  not  worry,  thinking  the  sleighing-party  had 
been  lost  somewhere  on  the  road  in  this  awful 
blizzard." 

"And  then  you  gave  him  the  miniatures?" 
questioned  Ben. 

"  I  did.  Oh,  Ben,  I  know  now  how  very  fool- 
ish it  was!  But  I  was  so  upset!  At  first  I 
thought  to  ask  your  father  about  it;  but  I  was 


HOW  THE  MINIATURES  DISAPPEARED     157 

afraid  that  to  disturb  him  would  make  him  feel 
worse,  and  I  knew  he  was  bad  enough  already. 
Then,  too,  I  knew  that  Mr.  Wadsworth  was  ex- 
pecting some  art  critics  to  look  at  the  miniatures, 
so  I  concluded  it  must  be  all  right.  I  have  al- 
ways known  the  combination  of  your  father's  safe, 
so  it  was  an  easy  matter  for  me  to  open  it  and 
get  the  miniatures  out.  I  told  the  young  man  to 
be  careful  of  them,  and  he  told  me  not  to  worry 
—  that  the  miniatures  would  be  perfectly  safe, 
and  that  Mr.  Wadsworth  had  promised  to  get 
the  critic  to  set  a  fair  value  on  each  of  them." 

"  Was  this  Ward  Porton  alone?  "  asked  Laura. 
The  girls,  of  course,  had  listened  with  as  much  in- 
terest as  the  boys  to  what  the  lady  of  the  house 
had  to  relate. 

"  No,  he  came  in  a  cutter  driven  by  a  man  who 
was  so  bundled  up  because  of  the  cold  that  I  could 
not  make  out  who  he  was.  As  soon  as  I  gave  him 
the  cases  containing  the  miniatures  the  young  man 
hurried  off  in  the  cutter,  stating  that  the  sooner 
the  critic  had  a  chance  to  see  the  paintings  the 
better." 

"  And  what  happened  next?  "  questioned  Dave, 
as  Mrs.  Basswood  paused  in  her  recital. 

"  I  went  back  to  assist  a  nurse  who  had  come  in, 
and  all  that  night  we  had  our  hands  full  with  my 
husband.  We  had  to  call  in  the  doctor,  and  he 
was  really  not  out  of  danger  until  noon  of  the  next 


158     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

day.  I  had  wanted  to  tell  him  about  sending  the 
miniatures  over  to  the  Wadsworth  house,  but  he 
was  in  no  condition  to  be  told  anything,  so  I  kept 
silent." 

"  But  didn't  you  get  worried  when  noon  came 
and  the  supposed  Dave  didn't  return  with  them?  " 
questioned  the  son. 

"  Yes,  as  soon  as  the  doctor  said  that  your 
father  was  out  of  danger  I  began  to  worry  over 
the  miniatures.  I  waited  until  the  middle  of  the 
afternoon,  and  then,  although  It  was  snowing  and 
blowing  something  awful,  I  hailed  a  passing  man 
—  old  Joe  Patterson  —  and  asked  him  if  he  would 
go  on  an  errand  to  the  Wadsworth  house.  He 
said  he  would  try  to  make  it  for  a  dollar,  and  so  I 
wrote  a  short  note  to  Mrs.  Wadsworth,  knowing 
that  she  must  be  at  home  even  though  her  husband 
and  Dave  might  be  away. 

"  Old  Patterson  delivered  this  message,  and 
Mrs.  Wadsworth  sent  back  word  that  she  had  not 
seen  anything  of  Dave  since  he  had  gone  away  on 
the  sleigh-ride,  nor  had  she  seen  anything  of  the 
miniatures.  She  added  that  her  husband  had 
gone  to  the  jewelry  works,  but  that  she  would  send 
one  of  the  hired  men  after  him  at  once  and  ac- 
quaint him  with  the  situation." 

"  What  did  you  do  then?  "  went  on  Ben. 

"  I  really  didn't  know  what  to  do.  Your  father 
was  so  ill  that  the  nurse  and  I  had  to  give  him 


HOW  THE  MINIATURES  DISAPPEARED     159 

every  attention.  I  was  waiting  for  the  doctor  to 
come  again,  but  he  could  not  get  here  on  account 
of  the  snow-drifts.  Mr.  Wadsworth  put  In  an 
appearance  about  two  hours  later,  and  then  I  told 
him  just  what  I  have  told  you.  He  declared  at 
once  that  It  must  be  a  trick,  stating  that  Dave  had 
not  been  near  the  house  since  going  away  with  all 
of  you  young  folks.  Mr.  Wadsworth  was  quite 
put  out,  and  wanted  to  know  how  it  was  that  I  had 
not  been  able  to  detect  the  deception." 

"Well,  I  must  say — "  commenced  Ben,  and 
then  stopped  short,  for  he  could  see  how  his 
mother  was  suffering. 

"  Oh,  yes,  Ben,  I  know  what  you  were  going  to 
say,"  she  broke  In  quickly.  "  Having  known 
Dave  so  many  years  I  should  have  discovered  the 
deception.  But,  as  I  said  before,  I  was  terribly 
worked  up  over  your  father's  condition.  Then, 
too,  the  young  man  came  in  bundled  up  In  an  over- 
coat and  a  cap  that  looked  exactly  like  those  Dave 
wears." 

"  They  were  mine.  That  fellow  stole  them 
from  me,"  Interrupted  our  hero,  bitterly. 

**  Not  only  that,  but  he  had  a  tippet  placed  over 
his  head  and  around  his  neck,  and  he  spoke  In  a 
very  hoarse  voice,  stating  that  he  had  caught  a 
terrible  cold  while  on  the  sleigh-ride  and  while 
coming  back  to  Crumville  on  the  freight  train. 
He  spoke  about  Mr.  Basswodd's  real  estate  busi- 


i6o     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

ness,  and  about  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wadsworth  and 
Jessie,  and  so  many  other  things  that  we  are  famil- 
iar with,  that  I  was  completely  deceived.  Then, 
too,  his  turning  over  that  written  card  to  me  also 
threw  me  off  my  guard.  But  I  know  I  was  very 
foolish,  very  foolish  indeed  I  "  and  Mrs.  Bass- 
wood's  lips  trembled  and  she  wrung  her  hands 
once  again. 

"  What  did  Mr.  Wadsworth  do  ?  "  questioned 
Dave,  In  the  midst  of  rather  an  awkward  pause. 
He  agreed  with  Ben  that  Mrs.  Basswood  should 
have  recognized  Ward  Porton  as  an  Imposter,  but 
he  did  not  want  to  say  anything  that  might  add  to 
the  lady's  misery. 

"  He  said  he  would  set  the  authorities  at  work 
and  see  If  he  could  not  find  Porton  and  his  confed- 
erate. I  was  so  bewildered  that  I  —  well,  I 
might  as  well  admit  it  —  I  told  him  that  I  couldn't 
understand  how  I  had  been  deceived,  and  that 
maybe  Dave  had  gotten  the  miniatures  after  all." 

"  Oh,  Mrs.  Basswood,  you  didn't  really  mean 
that!  "  cried  our  hero. 

"  I  was  so  bewildered  I  didn't  know  what  I 
meant,  Dave.  That  young  man  did  look  so  very 
much  like  you.  That's  the  reason,  when  you  folks 
drove  up  to  the  house,  I  ran  out  to  ask  if  you  had 
really  been  here  or  not." 

**  Have  you  heard  anything  of  this  Ward  Por- 
ton since  ?  "  asked  Roger. 


HOW  THE  MINIATURES  DISAPPEARED     i6i 

"  I  haven't  heard  anything.  Whether  Mr. 
Wadsworth  has  learned  anything  or  not  I  do  not 
know,  for  he  has  not  been  here  and  the  storm  has 
been  so  awful,  with  all  the  telephone  wires  down, 
that  I  could  not  send  for  news." 

"  Does  father  know  about  this  now  ?  "  ques- 
tioned Ben. 

"  No,  Ben,  I  have  not  had  the  courage  to  tell 
him,"  answered  the  mother.  "  I  told  the  doctor, 
and  he  advised  that  I  say  nothing  for  the  pres- 
ent." 

"  I  don't  think  I'd  tell  him,"  said  Dave.  "  I 
think  the  best  thing  we  can  do  Is  to  try  to  follow 
Porton  and  this  fellow  with  him  and  get  back  the 
miniatures.  Then  it  will  be  time  enough  to  tell 
Mr.  Basswood  about  the  affair." 

As  soon  as  they  had  entered  the  parlor  the  lady 
of  the  house  had  shut  the  door,  so  that  none  of 
the  conversation  might  reach  the  sick  chamber 
overhead.  In  reply  to  numerous  questions  Mrs. 
Basswood  gave  all  the  details  as  to  how  the  ras- 
cally Porton  had  been  able  to  gain  possession  of 
the  miniatures. 

"  I  think  I'll  hurry  up  and  get  home,"  declared 
Dave,  presently.  "  I  want  to  hear  what  Mr. 
Wadsworth  has  to  say;  and  also  find  out  what 
he  and  my  folks  have  done  towards  getting  on  the 
track  of  Porton  and  his  confederate." 

"  That's  the  talk!  "  exclaimed  Roger.     "  Say  I 


1 62     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

but  this  is  the  worst  yet,  isn't  it?  "  He  turned  to 
the  lady  of  the  house.  "  I  am  awfully  sorry  for 
you,  Mrs.  Basswood." 

"  I  guess  we  are  all  sorry,"  broke  in  our  hero, 
quickly. 

"  Oh,  I  hope  they  catch  that  Porton  and  put  him 
in  prison !  "  cried  Jessie. 

"  That  is  where  he  belongs,"  answered  Dave, 
soberly. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

A   VAIN   SEARCH 

To  find  out  what  Mr.  Wadsworth,  as  well  as 
Dave's  father  and  his  uncle,  had  done,  Ben  ac- 
companied the  other  young  folks  to  the  jewelry 
manufacturer's  mansion.  They  found  that  Mr. 
Wadsworth  had  gone  to  business,  but  the  other 
men  were  present  and  were  much  interested  in 
what  Dave  and  his  chums  had  to  relate. 

"  We've  done  all  we  could  to  get  the  authori- 
ties on  the  trail  of  Ward  Porton,"  announced 
Dave's  father;  "  but  we  have  been  much  hindered 
on  account  of  this  awful  blizzard.  The  telegraph 
and  telephone  wires  are  down  in  all  directions,  so 
it  has  been  practically  impossible  to  send  word  any 
great  distance." 

"  With  such  a  storm  it  may  be  possible  that  Por- 
ton and  his  confederate  are  still  in  Crumville," 
suggested  Roger. 

"  I  hardly  think  that,"  said  Dunston  Porter. 
"  More  than  likely  they  did  everything  they  could 
to  put  distance  between  themselves  and  this  town 
after  they  got  their  hands  on  the  miniatures." 

"  I  suppose  you  know  we  found  out  that  Por- 
163 


i64     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

ton's  confederate  managed  to  get  a  horse  and  cut- 
ter from  Bryson's  livery  stable,"  said  Dave's 
father. 

"  No,  we  didn't  know  that  I  "  cried  Ben. 

"  Well,  it's  true.  The  confederate,  who  gave 
his  name  as  Frank  Carson,  said  he  wanted  the 
turnout  to  go  for  a  doctor.  He  said  he  had  been 
sent  by  Mr.  Jamison,  the  minister.  Of  course,  it 
was  all  a  trick  and  Mr.  Jamison  knew  absolutely 
nothing  about  it." 

"  Did  they  return  the  horse  and  cutter?  " 

"  They  did  not.  And  Bryson  is  mourning  the 
loss  of  a  good  horse.  The  cutter  he  says  did  not 
amount  to  so  much.  He  would  not  have  let  the 
animal  go  out,  only  the  fellow  begged  so  hard, 
stating  that  it  was  practically  a  case  of  life  or  death 
—  and  he  offered  to  pay  double  money  for  the 
horse's  use." 

"Were  they  seen  at  all?"  questioned  Ben. 

"Oh,  yes  I  A  number  of  people  who  were 
stormbound  saw  them  pass  down  the  street  and 
stop  at  your  house.  Then  others  saw  the  cutter 
turn  in  the  direction  of  Hacklebury." 

"Of  course  you  tried  to  follow?"  queried 
Dave. 

"  I  did  that,"  answered  Dunston  Porter.  "  It 
was  tough  work  getting  through  as  far  as  the  mill 
town.  But  I  managed  it,  and  made  all  sorts  of 
inquiries.     Two  people  had  seen  the  cutter  pass 


A  VAIN  SEARCH  165 

the  mills,  but  no  one  could  give  me  any  definite  in- 
formation as  to  which  way  it  headed  after  that. 
You  see,  it  was  growing  dark  by  that  time,  and  the 
snow  was  coming  down  so  thickly  that  it  was  next 
to  impossible  to  see  any  great  distance  in  any  direc- 
tion." 

*'  Well,  we  know  they  went  as  far  as  Hackle- 
bury,  and  that's  something,"  returned  Phil  hope- 
fully. 

"  Yes,  but  it  isn't  much,"  came  in  a  rather  hope- 
less tone  from  Ben.  "  I'm  afraid  they've  got 
away  and  we'll  never  see  them  again,  or  the  minia- 
tures either." 

"  Oh,  don't  say  that,  Ben !  "  cried  Laura,  sym- 
pathetically. "  Pictures,  you  know,  are  not  like 
money.  Porton  and  that  rascal  with  him  will  have 
no  easy  time  disposing  of  the  miniatures." 

"  I'll  tell  you  what  they  may  do  I  "  burst  out 
Jessie,  suddenly.  "  They  may  go  to  some  big  city 
and  then  send  you  word  that  they  will  return  the 
miniatures  provided  you  will  pay  them  a  certain 
amount  of  money  for  so  doing." 

"  Say!  I  believe  that's  just  what  they  will  do !  " 
cried  Dave.  "  Jessie,  I  think  you've  struck  the 
nail  right  on  the  head  I  "  and  he  looked  at  the  girl 
admiringly. 

"I  hope  they  do  that  —  if  we  don't  catch 
them,"  returned  Ben.  "  If  those  miniatures  are 
worth  anything  like  a  hundred  thousand  dollars,  I 


i66     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

guess  my  dad  would  be  glad  enough  to  give  five 
or  ten  thousand  dollars  to  get  them  back." 

"  I  wouldn't  give  up  the  hunt  yet,  Ben,"  urged 
Roger.  "  Just  as  soon  as  this  awful  storm  is 
over  I'd  let  the  authorities  in  all  the  big  cities,  as 
well  as  the  little  ones,  know  about  the  theft,  and 
then  they  can  be  on  the  watch  for  Porton  and  his 
confederate.  By  the  way,  I  wonder  who  the  con- 
federate can  be." 

"  I'm  sure  I  haven't  the  least  idea,"  answered 
the  real  estate  dealer's  son. 

With  the  disappearance  of  the  Basswood  for- 
tune in  their  minds,  neither  the  young  folks  nor 
the  grown  folks  could  talk  about  much  else. 
Laura  and  Jessie  told  the  latter's  mother  how  they 
had  fallen  in  with  Dr.  Renwick  and  his  wife,  and 
how  the  pair  had  looked  after  the  girls  during  their 
stay  at  the  Lamont  Hotel. 

"  It  was  nice  of  Mrs.  Renwick  to  do  that,"  said 
the  lady  of  the  mansion;  "  but  it  is  no  more  than 
I  would  expect  from  her.  She  is  a  very  estimable 
woman." 

It  was  rather  hard  for  Dave  and  Roger  to  settle 
down  to  their  studies  on  the  following  morning, 
but  there  was  nothing  they  could  do  to  help  along 
the  search  for  those  who  had  taken  the  miniatures, 
and,  as  both  youths  were  anxious  to  make  up  for 
lost  time,  they  applied  themselves  as  diligently  as 
possible. 


A  VAIN  SEARCH  167 

Mr.  Ramsdell  had  been  away,  but  the  tutor 
came  back  that  afternoon,  and  the  two  students 
put  in  a  full  day  over  their  books,  leaving  Laura,- 
Jessie  and  Phil  to  look  after  the  visitors  from  the 
West. 

The  blizzard  had  now  ceased  entirely,  and  by 
the  end  of  the  week  all  the  roads  in  the  vicinity  of 
Crumville  were  fairly  well  broken  and  some  of  the 
telegraph  and  telephone  lines  had  been  repaired. 
The  newspapers  came  in  from  the  larger  cities, 
and  it  was  found  that  the  blizzard  had  covered  a 
wide  area  of  the  country,  extending  practically 
from  the  Mississippi  River  to  the  Atlantic  sea- 
board. 

"  It's  given  Ward  Porton  and  his  confederate  a 
dandy  chance  to  get  away,"  was  Roger's  comment. 

"  You're  right,  Roger,"  answered  Dave. 
"  And  so  far  it  would  seem  that  they  have  left  no 
trace  behind  them." 

From  Ben  it  was  learned  that  Mr.  Basswood 
was  slowly  improving  in  health.  He  had  asked 
about  the  miniatures,  and  the  art  critics  who  were 
to  have  visited  Crumville  on  the  invitation  of  Mr. 
Wadsworth. 

"  We  couldn't  keep  the  news  from  him  any 
longer,"  said  Ben.  "  When  he  asked  about  the 
pictures  my  mother  broke  down  and  had  to  con- 
fess that  she  had  let  Porton  take  them,  thinking  he 
was  Dave.     Of  course,   father  was  very  much 


i68  DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

disturbed,  and  the  doctor  had  to  pay  an  extra  visit 
and  give  him  something  to  keep  him  quiet.  I 
told  him  that  all  of  us  were  doing  everything  we 
possibly  could  to  get  on  the  track  of  the  thieves, 
and  now  he  is  resting  in  the  hope  that  sooner  or 
later  the  miniatures  will  be  recovered." 

The  loss  of  the  miniatures  had  taken  a  good 
deal  of  the  fun  out  of  Ben,  and  when  the  young 
folks  stopping  at  the  Wadsworth  mansion  went 
out  sleighing  again,  and  for  some  fun  skating,  he 
begged  to  be  excused. 

"  I  wouldn't  take  the  loss  too  hard,  Ben,"  said 
Dave,  quietly.  *'  Remember,  if  the  worse  comes 
to  the  worst,  you  are  just  as  well  off  as  you  were 
before  you  heard  of  this  Enos  fortune." 

"  That  is  true,  Dave.  But  it  makes  me  mad  to 
think  that  we  had  such  a  fortune  as  that  right  in 
our  hands  and  then  let  it  get  away  from  us." 

"  I  suppose  your  mother  feels  dreadfully  about 
it?" 

"  She  certainly  does,  Dave.  Why,  she  isn't 
herself  at  all.  Sometimes  I  think  that  her  worry- 
ing will  bring  on  a  regular  fit  of  sickness.  She,  of 
course,  thinks  that  it  is  entirely  her  fault  that  the 
miniatures  are  gone." 

"  You'll  have  to  do  all  you  can  to  cheer  her 
up." 

*'  Oh,  I'm  doing  thatl  And  I  do  what  I  can  to 
cheer  up  my   father  too.     Just  the   same,   I'm 


A  VAIN  SEARCH  169 

mighty  blue  myself  at  times;  "  and  the  real  estate 
dealer's  son  heaved  a  deep  sigh. 

At  last  came  the  day  when  Belle  and  Cora  must 
return  to  their  homes  in  the  West.  On  the  eve- 
ning before,  Jessie  and  Laura  gave  a  little  party 
in  their  honor,  which  was  attended  by  over  a  score 
of  the  boys  and  girls  of  Crumville.  The  young 
people  played  games,  sang,  and  danced  to  their 
hearts'  content,  and  Mrs.  Wadsworth  saw  to  it 
that  ample  refreshments  were  served  to  all. 

"  Oh,  I've  had  a  perfectly  lovely  time  I  "  de- 
clared Belle,  when  she  and  the  others  were  on  their 
way  to  the  depot. 

"  And  so  have  I  had  a  lovely  time,"  added  Cora 
Dartmore.  "  But  I'm  so  sorry  your  friend  lost 
that  fortune,"  she  added.  Ben  had  said  good-bye 
over  the  telephone,  the  wire  of  which  was  once 
more  in  working  order. 

"  If  you  ever  do  hear  of  those  miniatures  you 
must  let  us  know,"  went  on  Belle. 

"  We'll  be  sure  to  do  that,"  answered  Laura. 
And  then  the  train  came  in,  and,  with  a  final  hand- 
shake all  around,  and  with  several  kisses  ex- 
changed between  the  girls.  Belle  and  Cora  climbed 
on  board,  Dave  and  Phil  assisting  them  with  their 
suitcases. 

"  I'm  sorry  I'm  not  going  with  you,"  cried  the 
shipowner's  son,  "  But  I've  promised  Dave  and 
Roger  to  stay  a  few  days  longer." 


I70     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

"  Be  sure  to  send  us  a  letter  as  soon  as  you  get 
back  home,"  cried  Jessie. 

And  then  the  train  rolled  out  of  the  station  and 
the  visitors  from  the  West  were  gone. 

On  the  night  before  Phil  took,  his  departure  the 
three  chums  had  what  they  called  a  "  talk-fest " 
in  Dave's  room.  They  spoke  about  many  things 
—  of  how  they  had  first  gone  to  Oak  Hall,  and  of 
various  adventures  that  had  occurred  since  that 
time. 

"  The  Oak  Hall  boys  are  becoming  scattered," 
said  Phil.  "  I  don't  suppose  they'll  ever  all  get 
together  again." 

"  Oh,  we'll  have  to  meet  at  some  future  gradu- 
ation exercises  at  the  Hall!"  cried  Dave.  "I 
can't  think  of  letting  such  fellows  as  Shadow 
Hamilton,  Buster  Beggs,  and  Sam  Day  drop." 

"  Right  you  are !  "  came  from  Roger.  "  If  I 
can  get  there  at  all  you  can  count  on  my  going  back 
to  Oak  Hall  whenever  there  are  any  commence- 
ment exercises." 

"  I  half  wish  I  was  going  Into  this  civil  engi- 
neering business  with  you  two  fellows,"  continued 
Phil.  "  But  I'm  afraid  I'm  not  cut  out  for  that 
sort  of  thing.  I  love  the  sea  and  everything  con- 
nected with  ships." 

"That  shows  you're  a  chip  of  the  old  block," 
announced  Dave,  clapping  his  chum  on  the  shoul- 
der.    "  You  take  after  your  father,  Phil,  and  I 


Thk  young  people  played  oambs,  sang,  and  danced  to  their 
hearts'  content. — Page  169. 


A  VAIN  SEARCH  171 

don't  think  you  could  do  better  than  to  follow  him 
in  his  shipping  business." 

"  If  I  do  follow  him  In  that  business,  I  tell  you 
what  you've  got  to  do,"  announced  the  shipowner's 
son.  "  Some  time  you've  both  got  to  take  a  nice 
big  cruise  with  me." 

"  That  would  suit  me  down  to  the  shoe-tips," 
returned  Roger. 

"  It  would  be  fine,  Phil,"  answered  Dave. 
"  But  just  at  present,  Roger  and  I  have  got  to  bone 
to  beat  the  band  if  we  want  to  pass  that  examina- 
tion. You  must  remember  that  being  away  from 
home  on  account  of  that  blizzard  put  us  behind 
quite  a  good  deal." 

"  Well,  you  won't  have  me  to  worry  you  after 
to-night,"  grinned  the  chum.  "  Starting  to-mor- 
row morning  you  and  Roger  can  put  In  twenty- 
four  hours  a  day  over  your  studies,  as  far  as  I 
am  concerned." 

"  Wow !  Listen  to  that !  He's  as  considerate 
as  old  Job  Haskers  used  to  be,"  exclaimed  the 
senator's  son.  And  then,  picking  up  a  pillow,  he 
shied  it  at  Phil's  head. 

Another  pillow  was  sent  at  Roger  In  return ;  and 
In  a  moment  a  so-called  "  Oak  Hall  pillow  fight " 
was  In  full  progress  In  the  room,  pillows,  blankets, 
books,  and  various  other  objects  flying  in  all  di- 
rections. Then  Phil  got  Roger  down  on  one  of 
the  beds  and  was  promptly  hauled  off  by  Dave, 


172  DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

and  in  a  moment  more  the  three  youths  were  roll- 
ing over  and  over  on  the  floor. 

Suddenly  there  sounded  a  knock  on  the  door. 

"Hello I  Who  is  that?"  cried  Dave;  and  at 
once  the  three  youths  scrambled  to  their  feet,  re- 
adjusting their  clothing  as  they  did  so. 

"  Oh,  Dave,  such  a  noise  I  "  came  from  his 
sister.  "  What  in  the  world  are  you  doing  in 
there?" 

*'  We  are  only  bidding  Phil  good-bye,"  an- 
swered the  brother,  sweetly. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

THE   CIVIL   ENGINEERING   EXAMINATION 

As  the  days  went  by,  and  Dave  and  Roger  con- 
tinued to  prepare  themselves  for  the  examination 
which  was  rapidly  approaching,  the  authorities  did 
all  they  could  to  locate  Ward  Porton  and  his  con- 
federate. Diligent  inquiries  were  made  concern- 
ing the  identity  of  the  man  who  had  occupied  the 
room  at  Lamont  with  the  former  moving-picturfe 
actor,  and  it  was, finally  discovered  that  he  was 
Tim  Crapsey,  a  fellow  already  wanted  by  the 
police  for  several  crimes. 

"  It's  queer  that  a  fellow  like  Porton  should 
throw  in  his  fortunes  with  a  man  like  Crapsey," 
was  Roger's  comment.  "  From  all  accounts  Crap- 
sey is  a  thoroughly  good-for-nothing  fellow  with  a 
great  liking  for  strong  drink." 

"  That  shows  Porton's  real  disposition,  Roger,'* 
answered  Dave.  "  If  he  were  any  kind  of  a 
clean-minded  or  decent  fellow  he  wouldn't  want  to 
put  up  with  such  a  vile  fellow  as  this  Tim  Crapsey 
is  represented  by  the  police  to  be." 

"  If  Crapsey  is  already  known  to  the  police  they 
ought  to  be  able  to  locate  him  sooner  or  later." 

173 


174     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

"  Those  slick  criminals  have  a  way  all  their  own 
for  keeping  out  of  sight  of  the  police."  Dave 
paused  for  a  moment.  "  Do  you  know  I've  been 
thinking  of  something.  Maybe  this  fellow,  Crap- 
sey,  simply  used  Porton  as  a  tool." 

"  I  don't  quite  understand,  Dave." 

"  Why,  in  this  way :  when  they  heard  about  the 
miniatures,  and  Crapsey  heard  how  much  Porton 
looked  like  me,  and  how  intimate  I  and  the  Wads- 
worths  were  with  the  Basswoods,  it  may  have  been 
Crapsey  who  concocted  the  scheme  for  getting 
possession  of  the  miniatures.  And  if  he  did  that, 
it  is  more  than  likely  that  he  will  be  the  one  to 
dispose  of  the  pictures  or  send  in  an  offer  to  return 
them  for  a  certain  amount." 

"  You  mean  and  cut  Ward  Porton  out  of  the 
deal?"  questioned  the  senator's  son,  quickly. 

"  He  may  not  cut  Porton  out  entirely.  But  the 
chances  are  that  he'll  let  Porton  have  as  little  of 
the  returns  as  possible.  A  professional  criminal 
like  this  Crapsey  isn't  going  to  let  an  amateur  like 
Porton  in  on  the  ground  floor  if  he  can  help  it." 

"  Maybe  he'll  do  Porton  out  of  it  entirely. 
Wouldn't  that  make  the  moving-picture  actor 
mad !  "  and  Roger  grinned  over  the  thought. 

"  It  is  no  more  than  Porton  would  deserve," 
answered  our  hero.  "  Just  the  same,  I  hope  the 
authorities  capture  them  both  and  return  the  minia- 
tures to  Mr.  Basswood." 


CIVIL  ENGINEERING  EXAMINATION      175 

Two  days  before  the  time  when  Dave  and 
Roger  were  to  undergo  the  much  talked-of  exami- 
nation in  civil  engineering,  there  came  news  from 
a  country  town  fifteen  miles  beyond  Hacklebury. 
A  livery  stableman  there  sent  in  word  that  he  was 
boarding  a  horse  which  he  thought  might  be  the 
one  stolen  from  Mr.  Bryson.  The  Crumville 
liveryman  at  once  notified  Ben  and  the  local  police, 
and  the  boy  and  an  officer  accompanied  him  to 
Centertown.  Mr.  Bryson  at  once  recognized  the 
horse  as  his  own,  and  wanted  to  know  how  the 
Centertown  liveryman  had  become  possessed  of 
the  animal. 

"  He  was  left  here  by  a  man  I  think  was  this 
Tim  Crapsey  the  paper  spoke  about,"  announced 
the  livery  stable  keeper.  "  He  said  he  was  on  the 
road  to  the  next  town,  but  that  the  storm  was  too 
much  for  him,  and  that  he  wanted  to  leave  the 
animal  with  me  for  a  few  days  or  a  week.  He 
said  he  was  rather  short  of  cash  and  asked  me  to 
lend  him  ten  dollars,  which,  of  course,  I  did,  as  I 
thought  the  horse  was  ample  security,"  went  on  the 
livery  stableman,  bitterly. 

"  Was  the  fellow  alone  ?  "  was  the  question 
which  Ben  put. 

"  He  came  In  alone,  but  I  think  after  he  left 
the  stable  he  was  joined  by  another  fellow  down 
on  the  corner." 

The  Centertown  livery-stable  keeper  had  not 


176  DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

noticed  where  Crapsey  and  his  companion  had 
gone,  but  thought  they  had  made  their  way  to  the 
railroad  station.  It  was  learned  that  a  train 
bound  for  New  York  City  had  left  Centertown 
about  an  hour  later.  All  came  to  the  conclusion 
that  Ward  Porton  and  Tim  Crapsey  had  taken 
this.  The  train  had  been  stalled  some  hours  along 
the  road,  but  had  finally  reached  the  Grand  Cen- 
tral Terminal  of  the  metropolis. 

"Well,  this  proves  one  thing  —  that  Porton 
and  Crapsey  got  as  far  as  New  York  City  with  the 
miniatures,"  said  Dave,  when  he  heard  the  news. 

"  Yes,  and  New  York  Is  such  a  large  place,  with 
so  many  people  In  It,  that  It  will  be  almost  Impos- 
sible for  the  authorities  to  trace  them  there." 

"  That's  it,  Roger  —  especially  when  you  re- 
member that  this  happened  some  time  ago,  so  that 
by  now  the  thieves  may  be  in  Chicago,  San  Fran- 
cisco, or  in  London,  Paris,  or  some  other  far-away 
place." 

At  last  came  the  time  when  Dave  and  Roger 
were  to  go  in  for  the  examination  which  meant  so 
much  to  them.  They  had  worked  hard,  and  Mr. 
Ramsdell  had  assisted  them  in  every  way  pos- 
sible ;  yet  both  were  rather  doubtful  over  the  out- 
come of  the  affair. 

"  It  isn't  going  to  be  like  the  examinations  at 
Oak  Hall,"  said  our  hero.  "  Mr.  Ramsdell  ad- 
mitted that  it  would  be  stiff  from  the  word  go." 


CIVIL  ENGINEERING  EXAMINATION      177 

"  I  know  that,"  answered  the  senator's  son. 
"  It  seems  that  several  years  ago  they  were  a  little 
lax,  and,  as  a  consequence,  some  fellows  slipped 
through  that  had  no  right  to  pass.  Now  they 
have  jacked  the  examiners  up,  so  that  the  test  is 
likely  to  be  fierce." 

"  Oh,  Dave !  what  are  you  going  to  do  if  you 
don't  pass?  "  cried  Jessie,  when  he  was  ready  to 
leave  home. 

"  If  I  don't  pass  now,  Jessie,  I'll  simply  go  at 
my  studies  again  and  keep  at  them  until  I  do  pass," 
he  answered. 

The  examination  which  was  held  in  the  city  was 
divided  into  two  parts,  one  taking  place  from  ten 
to  twelve  in  the  morning,  and  the  other  from  two 
to  five  in  the  afternoon.  There  were  about  thirty 
students  present,  and  as  far  as  possible  each  was 
separated  from  any  friends  he  might  have  on 
hand,  so  that  Dave  sat  on  one  side  of  the  hall  in 
which  the  examination  occurred  and  the  senator's 
son  sat  on  the  other. 

"Well,  how  did  you  make  out?"  questioned 
Roger  of  Dave,  when  the  two  went  out  for  their 
midday  lunch. 

"  I  don't  know  exactly,  Roger,"  was  the  reply. 
"  I  think,  however,  that  I  answered  at  least  sev- 
enty per  cent,  of  the  questions  correctly.  How 
about  yourself?  " 

"  Well,  I'm  hoping  that  I  got  seventy  per  cent. 


178     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

of  them  right,"  returned  the  senator's  son.  "  But 
maybe  I  didn't  get  above  fifty  or  sixty  per  cent." 

The  afternoon  questions  seemed  to  be  much 
harder  than  those  of  the  morning.  The  students 
were  given  until  five  o'clock  to  pass  in  their  after- 
noon papers,  and  never  did  Dave  and  Roger  work 
harder  than  they  did  during  the  final  hour.  One 
question  in  particular  bothered  our  hero  a  great 
deal.  But  at  almost  the  last  minute  the  answer  to 
it  came  like  an  inspiration,  and  he  dashed  it  down. 
This  question  proved  a  poser  for  the  senator's 
son,  and  he  passed  in  his  paper  without  attempting 
to  put  down  a  solution. 

Following  that  examination,  Dave  returned  to 
Crumville.  Roger  journeyed  to  Washington, 
where  his  folks  were  staying  at  a  leading  hotel. 
Congress  being  in  session  and  Senator  Morr  oc- 
cupying his  place  in  the  Senate. 

There  was  a  week  of  anxious  waiting,  and  then 
one  day  Dave  received  an  official-looking  envelope 
which  made  his  heart  beat  rapidly. 

"  What  is  it,  Dave  ?  "  cried  his  sister,  when  she 
saw  him  with  the  letter  in  his  hand.  "  Is  it  your 
civil  engineering  report?  " 

"  I  think  it  is,  Laura,"  he  answered. 

"  Oh,  Dave,  how  I  hope  you've  passed  1 " 

"  So  do  I,"  put  in  Jessie. 

Dave  could  not  give  an  answer  to  this,  because, 
for  the  moment,  his  heart  seemed  to  be  in  his 


CIVIL  ENGINEERING  EXAMINATION     179 

throat.  Passing  to  the  desk  in  the  library,  he  slit 
open  the  envelope  and  took  out  the  sheet  which  it 
contained.  A  single  glance  at  it,  and  he  gave  a 
shout  of  triumph. 

"  I've  passed  I  "  he  cried.     "  Hurrah !  " 

"Oh,  good  I"  came  simultaneously  from  his 
sister  and  Jessie.  And  then  they  crowded  closer 
to  look  at  the  sheet  of  paper. 

*'  Does  it  say  what  percentage  you  got?  "  con- 
tinued his  sister. 

"  Why,  as  near  as  I  can  make  out,  I've  got  a 
standing  of  ninety-two  per  cent.,"  he  announced, 
with  pardonable  pride.     "  Isn't  that  fine?  '* 

"  It's  the  finest  ever,  Dave !  "  said  his  sister, 
fondly,  as  she  threw  her  arms  around  his  neck. 

"  Oh,  Dave,  it's  just  glorious !  "  exclaimed 
Jessie,  her  eyes  beaming.  And  when  he  caught 
her  and  held  her  tight  for  a  moment  she  offered 
no  resistance.  "  Oh,  won't  your  father  and  your 
uncle  be  proud  when  they  hear  of  this !  " 

"  I'm  going  to  tell  them  right  now !  "  he  cried, 
and  ran  off  to  spread  the  good  news. 

"  My  boy,  I'm  proud  of  you,"  said  his  father. 
"  Proud  of  you  1  "  and  he  clapped  Dave  affec- 
tionately on  the  shoulder. 

"  I  didn't  expect  anything  different  from  our 
Davy,"  put  in  Uncle  Dunston.  *'  I  knew  he'd 
pass.  Well,  now  you've  passed,  I  wish  you  every 
success  in  the  profession  you  have  chosen.'* 


i8o     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

*'  Oh,  I'm  not  a  full-fledged  civil  engineer  yet, 
Uncle  Dunston,"  broke  in  Dave,  quickly.  "  I've 
got  a  whole  lot  to  learn  yet.  Remember  this  is 
only  my  first  examination.  I've  got  to  study  a 
whole  lot  more  and  have  a  whole  lot  of  practice, 
too,  before  I  can  graduate  as  a  real  civil  engineer." 

Dave  lost  no  time  in  sending  a  telegram  to 
Roger.  In  return,  a  few  hours  later  came  word 
from  the  senator's  son  that  he,  too,  had  passed. 

"  Hurrah  I  "  cried  Dave,  once  more,  and  then 
could  not  resist  the  temptation  to  grab  Jessie  about 
the  waist  and  start  on  a  mad  dance  through  the 
library,  the  hallway,  the  dining-room,  and  the 
living  room  of  the  mansion.  Mrs.  Wadsworth 
looked  on  and  smiled  indulgently. 

"  I  suppose  your  heart  Is  as  light  as  a  feather 
now,  Dave,"  she  said,  when  the  impromptu  whirl 
came  to  an  end. 

"  Indeed  it  is,  Mrs.  Wadsworth,"  he  answered. 
"  Passing  that  examination  has  lifted  a  tre- 
mendous weight  from  my  shoulders." 

Of  course  Mr.  Ramsdell  was  greatly  pleased  to 
think  that  both  of  his  pupils  had  passed. 

"  Now  I  can  write  to  my  friends  of  the  Mentor 
Construction  Company  and  see  if  they  can  give 
Dave  and  Roger  an  opening,"  he  said.  "  They 
promised  it  to  me  some  time  ago  In  case  the  boys 
passed."  And  he  set  about  sending  off  a  letter 
without  delay. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

OFF   FOR  TEXAS 

"  Glorious  news !  " 

"  Oh,  Dave !  have  you  heard  from  Mr.  Rams- 
dell?"  cried  his  sister  Laura. 

"  Yes,  here  is  a  letter.  And  it  enclosed  an- 
other from  the  Mentor  Construction  Company. 
They  are  going  to  give  me  an  opening  with  that 
portion  of  the  concern  that  is  now  operating  in 
Texas,  building  railroad  bridges." 

"  Oh,  Dave !  then  you  will  really  have  to  go 
away  down  there?"  burst  out  Jessie,  her  face 
falling  a  trifle.  "  It's  a  dreadfully  long  way 
off  I" 

"  Well,  it's  what  I  expected,"  he  answered. 
"  A  fellow  can't  expect  to  become  a  civil  engineer 
and  work  in  his  own  backyard,"  and  he  grinned 
a  trifle.  "  This  letter  from  Mr.  Ramsdell  states 
that  Roger  will  be  given  an  opening  also." 

*'  With  you,  of  course  ?  "  queried  Laura. 

"  He  doesn't  state  that.  But  he  knew  we 
wanted  to  stick  together,   so  I  suppose  it's  all 

right." 

i8i 


i82  DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

"When  do  you  have  to  start?"  questioned 
Jessie. 

"  Just  as  soon  as  we  can  get  ready  —  according 
to  Mr.  Ramsdell's  letter.  He  says  he  is  also 
sending  word  to  Roger." 

As  was  to  be  expected,  the  tidings  quite  excited 
our  hero.  Now  that  he  had  passed  the  pre- 
liminary examination  and  was  to  go  out  for  actual 
field  practice,  he  felt  that  he  was  really  and  truly 
on  his  way  to  becoming  a  civil  engineer.  It  was 
the  first  step  towards  the  realization  of  a  dream 
that  had  been  his  for  some  time. 

Dave's  father  and  his  uncle,  as  well  as  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Wadsworth,  were  greatly  interested  in  the 
news. 

"  There  is  one  thing  about  it,  Dave,"  said 
his  parent;  "  I  have  made  a  number  of  inquiries, 
and  have  learned  that  the  Mentor  Construction 
Company  is  one  of  the  largest  and  finest  in  this 
country.  They  employ  a  number  of  first-class 
engineers;  so  it  is  likely  that  you  will  receive  the 
very  best  of  instruction,  and  I  sincerely  hope  that 
you  will  make  the  best  of  your  opportunities." 

"  I  am  going  to  do  my  level  best.  Dad,"  he  re- 
turned earnestly.  "  I  think  I'm  a  mighty  lucky 
boy,"  he  added,  with  a  smile. 

"  I  think  you  owe  Mr.  Ramsdell  a  good  deal," 
said  his  Uncle  Dunston.     "  Of  course,  we  have 


OFF  FOR  TEXAS  183 

paid  him  for  his  services,  but  that  isn't  every- 
thing." 

"  I  know  it,"  Dave  returned;  "  and  I'm  either 
going  to  thank  him  in  person  or  else  send  him  the 
nicest  letter  that  I  can  write." 

Now  that  he  was  really  going  to  leave  home, 
Mrs.  Wadsworth,  as  well  as  Laura  and  Jessie, 
took  it  upon  their  shoulders  to  see  that  Dave 
should  be  properly  taken  care  of  so  far  as  wearing 
apparel  went. 

"  But  oh,  Dave !  it's  awful  to  think  of  your  go- 
ing so  far  awayl  "  said  Jessie,  one  day,  when  the 
two  were  alone  in  the  library.  "  The  house  will 
be  dreadfully  lonely  after  you  are  gone." 

"  It  won't  be  much  different  from  when  I  was 
at  Oak  Hall,  Jessie,"  he  answered. 

"  Oh,  yes,  it  will  be,  Dave.  Texas  is  a  long 
way  off.  And  my  father  says  the  construction 
work  that  the  Mentor  Company  is  doing  is  close 
to  the  Mexican  border.  What  if  you  should  have 
trouble  with  some  of  those  awful  Mexican 
bandits?"  and  the  girl  shuddered. 

"  I  don't  expect  any  trouble  of  that  kind. 
Practically  all  the  fighting  that  has  been  going 
on  has  been  on  Mexican  soil  on  the  other  side  of 
the  Rio  Grande.  As  I  understand  it,  the  nearest 
point  that  the  Mentor  Construction  Company 
reaches  to  Mexico  is  some  miles  from  the  border." 


i84     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

"  Well,  that's  close  enough  with  so  much  fight- 
ing going  on,"  Jessie  pouted.  "  I  don't  want  any 
of  those  awful  Mexican  revolutionists  to  fire  at 
you." 

"Don't  worry,  Jessie,"  Dave  answered;  and 
then  caught  her  by  both  hands  and  drew  her  closer. 
"  You're  going  to  write  to  me  regularly,  aren't 
you?"  he  continued,  earnestly. 

"  Of  course,  Dave !  And  don't  you  forget  to 
answer  every  letter,"  she  replied  quickly. 

"Oh,  I'll  do  that,  never  fear  I" 

"  And  do  you  really  think  you  are  going  to  en- 
joy becoming  a  civil  engineer?  " 

"  I'm  positive  of  it,  Jessie.  The  more  I  see 
of  the  profession,  the  more  I  am  in  love  with  it. 
It's  a  wonderful  thing.  Just  think  of  being  able 
to  plan  out  a  great  big  bridge  across  a  broad  river, 
or  some  wonderful  dam,  or  a  tall  sky-scraper,  or 
an  elevated  railroad,  or  a  tunnel  under  a  gigantic 
mountain,  or  a  tube  under  some  river,  or  — " 

"  Oh,  my  gracious  me,  Dave  I  are  you  going 
to  do  all  those  wonderful  things?"  gasped  the 
girl,  her  eyes  opening  widely. 

"  I  don't  expect  I'll  ever  have  the  chance  to  do 
all  those  things,  Jessie;  but  I'm  going  to  try  my 
best  to  do  some  of  them.  Of  course,  you  must  re- 
member that  at  the  present  time  civil  engineering 
is  divided  into  a  great  many  branches.  Now,  for 
instance,  I  didn't  mention  anything  about  mining 


OFF  FOR  TEXAS  185 

engineering,  and  that's  a  wonderful  profession  in 
itself." 

"  Oh,  Dave  I  it's  wonderful  —  simply  wonder- 
ful I  "  cried  the  girl.  "  And  you  are  going  to  be 
a  wonderful  man  —  I  know  it  I  "  and  she  looked 
earnestly  into  his  eyes. 

"  If  I  ever  do  get  to  be  a  wonderful  man,  it's 
going  to  be  on  your  account,  Jessie,"  he  returned 
in  a  low  voice.  "  You  have  been  my  inspiration. 
Don't  forget  that;  "  and  he  drew  her  closer  than 
before. 

"Oh,  Dave!" 

"  It's  true,  Jessie.  And  I  only  hope  that  I'll 
make  good  —  and  that  too  before  I  am  very  much 
older.  Then  I  think  you  already  know  what  I 
am  going  to  do?  " 

"  What? "  she  whispered,  and  dropped  her 
eyes. 

"  I  am  going  to  ask  your  folks  for  your  hand 
in  marriage,"  he  continued  firmly,  reading  his  an- 
swer in  her  face. 

Word  had  come  in  from  Roger  that  he  too  was 
getting  ready  to  go  to  Texas,  and  that  both  of 
the  youths  were  to  work  together,  as  had  been 
anticipated.  As  the  senator's  son  was  in  Wash- 
ington, it  was  arranged  that  Dave  was  to  join  him 
in  the  Capitol  City,  and  then  the  two  were  to 
journey  to  Texas. 

Ben  had  heard  about  Dave's  proposed  depar- 


i86     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

ture  for  the  South,  and  he  came  over  several  times 
to  see  his  former  Oak  Hall  chum  before  the  lat- 
ter left  home. 

"Any  news  regarding  the  miniatures?"  ques- 
tioned Dave,  during  the  last  of  these  visits. 

"  Not  much,"  answered  the  real  estate  deal- 
er's son.  "  The  police  thought  they  had  one  or 
two  clues,  but  they  have  all  turned  out  to  be  false. 
They  arrested  one  fellow  in  Pittsburgh,  thinking 
he  was  Tim  Crapsey,  but  he  turned  out  to  be  some- 
body else." 

"  Then  they  haven't  any  word  at  all  about 
Ward  Porton?" 

"  No,  that  rascal  seems  to  have  disappeared 
from  the  face  of  the  earth." 

"  How  is  your  father  getting  along,  Ben?  " 

"  He  isn't  doing  so  welf,  Dave.  This  loss  of 
the  miniatures  was  a  terrible  blow  to  him.  You 
see,  the  real  estate  business  lately  has  not  been 
quite  as  good  as  it  might  be.  My  father  went 
into  several  pretty  heavy  investments,  and  he 
needed  a  little  more  money  to  help  him  through. 
So  when  he  got  word  about  this  fortune  in  pic- 
tures, he  at  once  thought  that  he  could  sell  some  of 
the  miniatures  and  use  the  proceeds  in  his  real 
estate  deals.  Now  that  end  of  the  business  is 
at  a  standstill." 

"  Is  your  father  actually  suffering  for  the  want 
of  some  cash?"  asked  our  hero,  quickly.     "If 


OFF  FOR  TEXAS  187 

he  Is,  I  think  my  father  or  my  Uncle  Dunston  can 
help  him  out." 

"  Your  father  has  already  promised  to  assist 
him,  and  so  has  Mr.  Wadsworth,  Dave.  But  that 
Isn't  the  thing.  You  know  my  father  Is  an  In- 
dependent sort  of  man,  and  It  worries  him  to  think 
that  he  can't  stand  entirely  on  his  own  feet  In  his 
real  estate  transactions.  Of  course,  if  he  were 
well  enough  to  be  around  I  suppose  he  coiild  ad- 
just matters  without  any  special  assistance.  But 
it's  hard  lines  when  things  go  wrong  and  you  are 
flat  on  your  back  In  bed." 

"  Yes,  I  can  understand  that.  And  it  must 
worry  your  mother,  too." 

"  Oh,  It  does !  Ma  Isn't  the  same  woman. 
She  Is  awfully  pale  and  quite  thin.  The  doctor 
told  her  not  to  worry  so,  or  she'd  be  down  on 
her  back,  too." 

"  Well,  you'll  have  to  do  what  you  can  to  cheer 
up  both  of  them."  Dave  drew  a  long  breath. 
"  I  do  wish  somebody  would  catch  those  two  ras- 
cals, not  only  on  your  account  but  on  my  account 
also.  I'd  like  to  settle  matters  with  Porton,  for 
having  Impersonated  me  at  those  stores,  and  for 
taking  my  cap  and  overcoat." 

"  We've  offered  a  reward  of  five  thousand  dol- 
lars for  the  return  of  the  miniatures,  and  another 
thousand  each  for  the  capture  of  the  thieves," 
announced  Ben.     "  That  ought  to  be  a  strong  in- 


i88     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

ducement  for  the  detectives  to  do  all  they  possibly 
can. 

"  We  thought  you  might  possibly  get  an  offer 
from  Porton  or  Crapsey,  or  both  of  them,  to  re- 
turn the  miniatures  for  a  certain  amount,"  went 
on  Dave.  "  But  you  say  no  such  offer  has  come 
in?" 

"  No." 

"  Would  your  father  consider  it  if  it  did  come 
in?" 

"  I  don't  know  what  he  would  do,  Dave.  Of 
course,  he'd  hate  to  give  up  money  to  a  thief; 
but,  just  the  same,  he'd  hate  it  worse  if  he  never 
got  the  miniatures  back." 

At  last  came  the  time  for  Dave  to  leave  home. 
His  trunk  had  been  packed  and  shipped  on  ahead. 
There  was  still  considerable  snow  on  the  ground; 
so  he  was  taken  to  the  depot  in  the  big  Wads- 
worth  sleigh,  the  girls  and  his  father  accompany- 
ing him. 

"  Good-bye,  Davy,  my  boy  I  "  cried  his  Uncle 
Dunston,  when  he  was  ready  to  leave  the  house. 
"  Now  I  expect  you  to  give  a  good  account  of 
yourself  while  with  that  construction  company." 

"  I'll  do  what  I  can,"  he  answered. 

"  And  do  keep  away  from  the  Mexicans," 
added  Mrs.  Wadsworth  with  a  sigh. 

"  You  trust  David  to  do  the  right  thing,"  came 
from  old  Caspar  Potts,  his  mellow  eyes  beaming 


OFF  FOR  TEXAS  189 

brightly.  "  David  is  all  right.  He's  my  boy, 
and  I'm  proud  of  him,"  and  he  nodded  his  head 
over  and  over  again. 

For  the  girls,  the  drive  to  the  depot  was  all  too 
short.  Laura  had  so  many  things  to  say  to  her 
brother  that  she  hardly  knew  what  to  speak  of 
first.  As  for  poor  Jessie,  she  felt  so  bad  she  could 
scarcely  speak,  and  when  she  looked  at  Dave  there 
were  unbidden  tears  in  her  eyes. 

*'  Now  don't  look  at  it  that  way,"  David  whis- 
pered, when  he  caught  sight  of  the  tears.  "  I'll 
be  back  again  before  a  great  while." 

"  Oh,  Dave,  I  —  I  —  ca  —  can't  help  it,"  she 
murmured.  "I  —  I  —  think  so  —  so  —  much 
of  —  of  —  you  I  "  and  then,  for  the  moment,  she 
hid  her  face  on  his  shoulder. 

Mr.  Porter  had  a  few  words  of  advice  to  give, 
and  he  had  hardly  finished  when  the  train  rolled 
into  the  station.  Then  Dave  shook  hands  with 
his  father,  and  kissed  each  of  the  girls,  and 
climbed  on  board. 

"Good-bye,  my  son  I"  called  Mr.  Porter. 

"  Good-bye,  Dad  I  Take  care  of  yourself 
while  I'm  gone,"  he  shouted  back.  "  Good-bye, 
Laura  I     Good-bye,  Jessie  I  " 

"  Good-bye,  Davel  "  returned  the  sister,  wav- 
ing her  hand. 

Jessie  tried  to  speak  but  could  not,  and  so  she 
too  waved  a  farewell. 


I90     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

Then  the  train  rolled  from  the  Crumvllle  sta- 
tion, slowly  gathering  speed,  and  finally  disap- 
pearing in  the  distance. 

At  last  our  hero  was  off  to  become  a  full-fledged 
civil  engineer. 


CHAPTER  XX 

in  new  york  city 

"  Dave  Porter  !  " 

"  Buster  Beggsl  "  cried  our  hero,  his  face  light- 
ing up.  "  Where  in  the  world  did  you  come 
from?" 

"  Just  got  off  the  accommodation  coming  the 
other  way,"  announced  Joseph  Beggs,  otherwise 
known  as  Buster,  a  fat  youth  who  had  long  been 
one  of  Dave's  Oak  Hall  classmates. 

"Are  you  alone?"  questioned  our  hero.  He 
had  just  stepped  from  the  local  train  to  change  to 
the  express  for  New  York  City;  and  he  had  fairly 
run  into  Buster,  who  was  standing  on  the  platform 
flanked  by  several  suitcases. 

"  No,  I'm  not  alone,"  answered  the  fat  youth. 
"  Shadow  Hamilton  and  Luke  Watson  are  with 
me. 

"You  don't  say  sol"  and  our' hero's  face 
showed  his  pleasure.  "  Are  you  bound  for  New 
York?  "  he  questioned  quickly. 

"  Yes,  we  are  going  to  take  the  express." 
Fine  I     I  am  going  there  myself." 
igi 


n 


192     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

"  Got  a  seat  in  the  parlor  car?  " 

"  Yes.     Number  twelve,  car  two." 

"  Isn't  that  wonderful !  We  have  eleven,  thir- 
teen and  fourteen!"  answered  Buster  Beggs. 

"  Hello  there,  Dave  Porter !  "  shouted  another 
youth,  as  he  stepped  out  of  the  waiting-room  of 
the  depot.  "How  are  you  anyway?"  and  he 
came  up,  swinging  a  banjo-case  from  his  right 
hand  to  his  left  so  that  he  might  shake  hands. 
Luke  Watson  had  always  been  one  of  the  favorite 
musicians  at  Oak  Hall,  playing  the  banjo  and  the 
guitar  very  nicely,  and  singing  well. 

"  Mighty  glad  to  see  you,  Luke !  "  cried  Dave, 
and  wrung  the  extended  hand  with  such  vigor  that 
the  former  musician  of  Oak  Hall  winced.  Then 
Dave  looked  over  the  other's  shoulder  and  saw  a 
third  lad  approaching  —  a  youth  who  was  as  thin 
as  he  was  tall.  "  How  is  our  little  boy.  Shadow, 
to-day?"  he  continued,  as  Maurice  Hamilton 
came  closer. 

"  Great  Scott  I  Am  I  blind  or  is  it  really  Dave 
Porter?"  burst  out  Shadow  Hamilton. 

"  No,  you're  not  blind.  Shadow,  and  it's  really 
yours  truly,"  laughed  Dave.  And  then  as  an- 
other handshake  followed  he  continued:  "  What 
are  you  going  down  to  New  York  City  for  ?  To 
pick  up  some  new  stories?" 

"Pick  up  stories?"  queried  the  former  story 


IN  NEW  YORK  CITY  193 

teller  of  Oak  Hall,  In  perplexity.  "  I  don't  have 
to  pick  them  up.     I  have  — " 

"  About  fourteen  million  stories  in  pickle," 
broke  in  Buster  Beggs. 

"  Fourteen  niillion !  "  snorted  Luke  Watson. 
"  You  had  better  say  about  fourteen  I  Shadow 
tells  the  same  stories  over  and  over  again." 

"  Say,  that  puts  me  in  mind  of  a  story!  "  cried 
the  youth  mentioned,  his  face  lighting  up. 
"  Once  on  a  time  there  was  a  — " 

"  Oh,  my,  Shadow !  are  you  going  to  start  right 
away?"  demanded  Dave,  with  a  broad  grin  on 
his  face.  "  Can't  you  give  a  fellow  a  chance  to 
catch  his  breath?  This  is  a  great  surprise  — 
meeting  you  three  on  my  way  to  the  city.  And 
to  think  we  are  going  to  be  together  in  one  of 
the  parlor  cars,  too  I  " 

"  Oh,  you  can't  lose  the  Oak  Hall  boys  I  "  cried 
Buster.  *'  Say,  let  me  tell  you  something,"  he 
went  on.  "  Luke  has  written  a  song  about  Oalc 
Hall  that  is  about  the  finest  thing  I  ever  heard." 

"  It  ought  to  be  if  it  mentions  us,"  answered 
Dave,  with  a  boldness  that  took  away  much  of  the 
conceit. 

"  Say,  you  haven't  let  me  tell  that  story !  "  in- 
terrupted Shadow,  with  a  disconcerted  look  on  his 
thin  face.  "  Now,  as  I  was  saying,  there  was 
once  a  — •" 


194     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

"Not  now,  Shadow  1" 

"  You  can  tell  it  on  the  way  to  New  York!  " 

"  Provided  the  conductor  will  give  you  written 
permission." 

"Not  much!"  returned  the  would-be  story- 
teller. "  If  I  can't  tell  that  story  now,  I'm  go- 
ing to  be  mum  forever."  He  suddenly  looked  at 
Dave.  *'  What  is  taking  you  to  New  York?  "  he 
inquired. 

"  I'm  on  my  way  to  Texas,"  answered  Dave, 
and  then  told  his  former  classmates  of  how  he  and 
Roger  had  passed  the  preliminary  examination  as 
civil  engineers  and  of  how  they  were  now  going 
to  take  up  field  work  in  the  Lone  Star  State. 

"  Say,  that's  great  I  "  exclaimed  Buster,  in  ad- 
miration. "  I  wish  I  was  going  to  do  something 
like  that." 

"  So  do  I,"  added  Luke,  while  Shadow  nodded 
in  assent. 

The  other  lads  had  many  questions  to  ask,  and 
in  return  told  Dave  much  about  themselves.  In 
the  midst  of  the  conversation  the  express  train  for 
the  metropolis  rolled  in  and  the  four  youths  lost 
no  time  in  clambering  aboard.  They  found  their 
seats  with  ease,  and  quickly  settled  themselves. 

"  That's  a  fierce  loss  that  the  Basswoods  sus- 
tained," remarked  Luke.  "  I  read  all  about  it  in 
the  newspapers.  That  fellow,  Ward  Porton, 
must  be  a  peach." 


IN  NEW  YORK  CITY  195 

"  I  should  say  he  was  a  lemon  so  far  as  Dave 
was  concerned,"  said  Buster,  with  a  slow  wink  of 
his  eye. 

"  Speaking  of  peaches  puts  me  in  mind  of  an- 
other story,"  cried  Shadow.  "  A  man  had  a  tree 
in  his  garden  and — " 

"  Oh,  Shadow,  why  this  infliction  I  " 

''  Have  we  really  got  to  listen?  " 

"  How  much  will  you  pay  us  if  we  keep  still 
until  you  have  finished?  " 

"  Yes,  you've  got  to  listen,  and  I  won't  pay  you 
a  cent  for  it,  either,"  retorted  the  would-be  story- 
teller. "  This  is  a  short  one.  A  man  had  a 
fruit-tree  in  his  garden,  and  he  told  a  friend  of 
his  that  he  got  three  kinds  of  fruit  from  it.  His 
friend  didn't  believe  it,  so  he  told  his  friend: 
*  Why,  it  was  dead  easy.  I  went  out  in  the  gar- 
den to  pick  an  apple.  I  picked  one,  and  then  I 
picked  a  pair.  One  was  no  good,  but  another  was 
a  peach.'  " 

"Wow!  listen  to  that  I  " 

"  Shadow  must  have  had  a  peach  of  a  time  get- 
ting up  that  story,"  commented  Luke,  evidently 
feeling  himself  justified. 

"  Good  thing  there  are  not  a  pair  of  them," 
came  from  Dave. 

"  Such  stories  are  the  fruits  of  idleness,"  was 
added  by  Buster,  solemnly. 

"  Oh,  don't  you  poke  fun  at  that  joke,"  re- 


196     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

torted  Shadow.  "  It's  a  good  deal  better  than  any 
you  could  get  up." 

Dave  learned  that  Luke  Watson's  folks  were 
now  living  in  New  York  City,  and  that  Luke  had 
invited  Buster  and  Shadow  to  spend  a  week  with 
him. 

"  It's  too  bad  you  can't  stop  off,  at  least  for  a 
day  or  two,"  said  Luke  to  Dave.  "  It  would  suit 
me  down  to  the  ground  to  have  you  join  us." 

"  And  I'd  like  first-rate  to  do  it,  Luke,"  an- 
swered our  hero.  "  But  I  promised  to  be  in 
Washington  by  to-morrow,  and  that  means  that 
I've  got  to  take  the  midnight  train  from  New 
York  City." 

"  Well,  we'll  get  down  to  New  York  by  three 
o'clock  this  afternoon.  That  will  give  us  nine 
hours  in  which  to  have  a  good  time.  You've  got 
to  come  up  to  our  house  for  dinner,"  continued 
Luke;  and  so  it  was  arranged. 

"  I  was  wondering  what  I  would  do  with  my- 
self this  evening,"  said  our  hero.  "  I  don't  mind 
going  around  the  city  in  the  daylight,  but  after  it 
is  dark  it  is  rather  hard  for  a  stranger  to  put  in 
his  time,  unless  he  wants  to  go  to  some  kind  of 
show." 

"  We  might  all  go  to  a  moving-picture  show 
after  dinner,"  suggested  Buster.  "  I'll  blow  you 
to  front  seats,"  he  added  generously. 

"  You'll  have  to  make  it  a  seat  farther  back 


IN  NEW  YORK  CITY  197 

than  that  for  me,"  put  in  Shadow.  "  A  front 
seat  at  a  moving-picture  show  is  no  good,"  and 
at  this  there  was  a  general  snicker. 

"  We'll  see  about  the  show  after  we  have  had 
dinner,"  said  Luke. 

The  time  on  the  train  was  spent  in  talk  about 
Oak  Hall  and  their  numerous  classmates,  many  of 
them  now  well  scattered  throughout  the  States. 

"  Polly  Vane  has  gone  into  business,  so  I  hear," 
announced  Luke.  "  He's  in  real  estate,  and  in 
spite  of  the  fact  that  he's  a  regular  dude  they  tell 
me  he  is  doing  very  well." 

"  Well,  Polly  ought  to  do  well,"  answered 
Dave,  who  had  not  forgotten  that  the  student  who 
acted  so  very  girlishly  had  at  graduation  stood  as 
high  in  his  percentage  as  our  hero  himself  had 
done. 

"  And  they  say  Chip  Macklin  is  doing  pretty 
well,  too,"  put  in  Buster,  referring  to  a  small  lad 
who  had  once  been  a  toady  to  Gus  Plum,  the  Hall 
bully. 

"  Well,  Plum  is  doing  well,"  returned  Dave. 
"  I'm  glad  he  reformed.  Evidently  there  was 
much  better  stuff  in  him  than  there  was  in  Jasniff 
and  Merwell." 

"  Oh,  Jasniff  and  Merwell  were  thoroughly  bad 
eggs,"  announced  Luke.  "  I'll  never  forget, 
Dave,  how  Jasniff  once  tried  to  brain  you  with  an 
Indian  club." 


198     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

"  Say,  speaking  about  bad  eggs,  puts  me  In  mind 
of  another  story,"  cried  Shadow.  "  A  lady  went 
into  a  store  and  asked  the  store-keeper's  clerk 
how  much  the  eggs  were.  The  clerk  —  Now 
don't  interrupt  me,  because  this  isn't  a  very  long 
story,"  pleaded  the  would-be  story  teller.  "  The 
clerk  was  only  a  small  boy,  and  he  hadn't  been  in 
the  business  very  long,  so  he  told  the  lady,  '  The 
really  fresh  eggs  are  fifty  cents,  and  the  almost 
fresh  eggs  are  forty  cents,  and  those  that  ain't 
so  fresh  are  thirty-five  cents,  and  the  rotten  eggs 
are  thirty  cents.'  " 

"  Oh,  Shadow  I  what  a  story!  " 
"  Haven't  you  got  any  fresher  than  that?  " 
"  You  can't  make  anybody  believe  any  such 
yarn  as  that." 

"  That  story  is  absolutely  true,"  returned  the 
story  teller,  soberly.  "If  you  don't  believe  it, 
you  come  down  to  the  town  of  Necopopec,  Maine, 
and  on  the  principal  street  of  the  town  I'll  show 
you  the  town  pump  where  that  boy  used  to  get  a 
drink  three  times  a  day,"  and  at  this  sally  there 
was  a  general  laugh. 

At  last  the  train  rolled  Into  the  Grand  Central 
Terminal  at  Forty-Second  Street,  New  York  City, 
and,  alighting,  the  lads  made  their  way  through 
the  spacious  depot  to  the  crowded  thoroughfare 
beyond.  Here  taxicabs  were  numerous,  and  the 
youths  piled  into  one,  leaving  the  driver  to  look 


IN  NEW  YORK  CITY  199 

after  their  suit-cases.  Dave's  trunk  had  been 
checked  through  to  Washington. 

Luke's  family  lived  in  the  vicinity  of  Central 
Park,  and  it  did  not  take  the  chums  long  to  reach 
the  home.  Here  they  were  greeted  by  Mrs.  Wat- 
son, Luke's  father  being  away  on  business.  Then 
Luke  took  the  lads  up  to  his  own  room,  where  all 
proceeded  to  make  themselves  at  home. 

At  a  little  after  five  Mr.  Watson  came  in  to 
greet  them,  and  about  an  hour  later  all  sat  down 
to  a  sumptuous  dinner,  to  which  it  is  needless  to 
say  each  of  the  boys  applied  himself  diligently. 

"  I  see  by  the  papers  that  they  are  showing  a 
very  fine  war  spectacle  at  one  of  the  photo-play 
houses,"  announced  Luke.  "  How  would  you 
fellows  like  to  go  and  see  it?" 

This  was  agreeable  to  all,  and  a  little  later  the 
chums  left  the  Watson  house  to  go  to  the  theater, 
which  was  about  ten  blocks  farther  downtown. 

"  If  we  get  there  by  half-past  seven,  we  can 
take  in  the  first  show  of  the  evening,"  announced 
Luke.  "  That  will  give  us  a  chance  to  do  some 
other  things  before  it  is  time  for  Dave  to  catch 
his  train.'* 

The  war  spectacle  proved  very  entertaining  to 
all  the  youths,  and  they  were  rather  sorry  when 
it  came  to  an  end.  Then  Buster  proposed  that 
they  walk  down  the  Great  White  Way,  as  a  cer- 
tain portion  of  Broadway  has  been  designated. 


200  DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

The  boys  had  been  walking  for  the  best  part  of 
half  an  hour,  taking  in  various  sights,  including 
the  wonderfully  illuminated  signs,  when  suddenly, 
as  they  passed  through  a  rather  dense  crowd, 
Shadow  plucked  Dave  by  the  arm. 

"What  is  it?"  questioned  our  hero,  quickly, 
for  he  saw  that  the  former  story-teller  of  Oak 
Hall  was  much  excited. 

"  That  fellow  we  just  passed,  Dave !  "  cried 
Shadow. 

"What  of  him?" 

"  Why,  he  looked  just  like  you  I  " 

"  You  don't  mean  it  I  "  gasped  Dave,  and  came 
to  a  sudden  halt.  "  If  he  looked  like  me  it  must 
have  been  Ward  PortonI  " 


CHAPTER  XXI 

DAVE   IN  WASHINGTON 

"Ward  PortonI"  exclaimed  the  other 
youths  in  a  chorus. 

"  Let  us  go  after  him,"  went  on  Dave. 
"  Shadow,  which  way  did  he  go  ?  " 

"  Come  on,  I'll  show  you,"  answered  the  story- 
teller, and  led  the  way  through  the  crowd  as  well 
as  he  could. 

As  already  mentioned,  the  crowd  at  this  par- 
ticular spot  on  the  Great  White  Way  was  dense, 
and  the  chums  had  all  they  could  do  to  force  their 
way  along,  often  elbowing  people  in  a  way  that 
was  far  from  polite.  Presently  they  gained  a 
street  corner  where  the  pedestrians  were  being 
held  up  by  the  traffic  flowing  the  other  way. 

"  There  he  is !  "  exclaimed  Shadow,  suddenly, 
pointing  with  his  hand. 

Looking  in  the  direction  indicated,  Dave  saw 
a  well-known  form.  It  was  indeed  Ward  Porton, 
still  wearing  the  cap  and  overcoat  he  had  stolen 
from  our  hero. 

"Hi  there,  PortonI  Stop!  "  cried  Dave,  and 
made  a  dash  for  the  rascal. 

201 


202     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

As  his  hand  fell  on  Porton's  arm  the  other 
swung  around  in  a  startled  way.  Then,  as  he 
caught  sight  of  Dave  and  his  friends,  he  gave  a 
sudden  duck  and  crowded  in  between  several  ladies 
standing  in  front  of  him.  The  next  instant  he 
was  dashing  out  into  the  street  in  the  midst  of  a 
perfect  maze  of  automobiles  and  wagons. 

"  I'm  going  after  him !  "  cried  Dave  to  his 
chums,  and  did  his  best  to  follow.  But  an  auto- 
mobile got  in  his  way,  and  then  a  large  express 
wagon,  and  before  our  hero  could  get  around 
these,  Porton  had  gained  the  opposite  sidewalk 
and  was  darting  through  the  crowd  with  great 
rapidity,  paying  scant  attention  to  those  he  met 
and  hurling  one  little  girl  off  her  feet  and  into 
the  gutter. 

"Stop!  What's  the  matter  here?"  cried  a 
voice  to  Dave ;  and  the  next  moment  a  policeman 
came  up  beside  him. 

"  That  fellow  ahead !  I  want  to  catch  him  I  " 
burst  out  our  hero.     "  He's  a  thief  I  " 

"Where?" 

"  There  he  goes,  straight  into  the  crowd  I  "  an- 
swered Dave,  and  then  hurried  on  once  more, 
with  his  chums  trailing  behind  him. 

The  chase  so  suddenly  taken  up  did  not,  how- 
ever, prove  long.  By  the  time  Dave  and  his 
friends  reached  the  next  corner  of  the  crowded 
thoroughfare  Ward  Porton  had  disappeared  once 


,.;_;■>  '£;.v-ici^ 

fi^M 

k- 1 

m^mmmm 

The  next  instant  he  was  dashing  out  into  the  stkbet. 
Fage  202. 


DAVE  IN  WASHINGTON  203 

more  and  none  of  the  youths  could  tell  what  di- 
rection he  had  taken. 

"  I  don't  know  what  you're  going  to  do,  Dave," 
said  Luke,  sympathetically.  "  He  may  have  gone 
ahead  and  then  again  he  may  have  turned  to  the 
right  or  to  the  left." 

"  I  don't  believe  you'll  be  able  to  locate  him  in 
such  a  crowd  as  this,"  put  in  Buster.  "  What  a 
shame  that  you  weren't  able  to  get  your  hands  on 
him  I" 

"  I  did  have  one  hand  on  him,  but  he  slipped 
away  like  a  greased  pig,"  announced  Dave,  dole- 
fully. 

"  Say,  speaking  about  greased  pigs  puts  me  in 
mind  of  a  story,"  put  in  Shadow.  "  Once  there 
were  two  boys  — "  and  then,  as  his  chums  gave 
him  a  sudden  cold  look,  he  continued :  "  Oh, 
pshaw  I  what's  the  use  of  trying  to  tell  a  story  just 
now.  I  know  Dave  would  rather  find  this  fellow 
Porton." 

"  You're  right  there,  Shadow  I  "  answered  our 
hero,  quickly.  "  I'd  rather  get  my  hands  on  him 
than  listen  to  a  thousand  stories." 

Dave  was  unwilling  to  let  the  chase  end  there ; 
so  he  and  his  friends  spent  the  remainder  of  the 
evening  walking  up  and  down  Broadway,  and 
traversing  several  blocks  of  the  side  streets  in 
the  vicinity  where  Ward  Porton  had  disappeared. 
But  it  was  all  of  no  avail.     The  rascal  had  made 


204     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

good  his  escape.  Then  all  walked  around  to  the 
nearest  police  station,  and  told  the  authorities  of 
the  affair,  so  that  the  detectives  of  the  city  might 
be  on  the  watch  for  the  criminal. 

His  chums  insisted  upon  seeing  Dave  off  on  his 
journey  to  Washington,  and  before  going  to  the 
Pennsylvania  Railroad  Station  on  Seventh  Avenue 
the  youths  treated  themselves  to  a  lunch.  Dur- 
ing the  meal  Shadow  was  allowed  to  tell  several 
of  his  best  stories,  and  Luke  was  called  on  to  hum 
over  the  song  he  had  composed  in  honor  of  their 
days  at  Oak  Hall. 

*'  That's  a  fine  song,  Luke,  and  you  ought  to 
have  it  published,'*  declared  Dave,  heartily.  "  I 
believe  every  lad  who  ever  went  to  Oak  Hall 
would  want  a  copy  of  it." 

It  may  be  mentioned  here  that  later  on  Luke 
Watson  did  have  the  composition  brought  out  by 
a  metropolitan  music  publisher.  He  dedicated  it 
to  the  senior  class  of  which  he  had  been  a  mem- 
ber, and  the  song  sold  very  well. 

Dave  had  already  secured  his  berth  on  the  train, 
so  that  when  his  friends  left  him  he  lost  no  time 
in  retiring.  But  the  novelty  of  the  journey,  and 
his  thoughts  concerning  Ward  Porton,  kept  him 
awake  for  some  time.  Finally,  however,  he  went 
sound  asleep  and  did  not  awaken  until  some  time 
after  the  Capitol  City  was  reached. 

Senator  Morr  and  his  family  were  staying  at 


DAVE  IN  WASHINGTON  205 

the  New  Willard  Hotel  in  Washington,  and  Dave 
soon  found  a  street  car  that  passed  the  door  of 
that  place.  When  he  entered  the  hotel,  he  found 
Roger  in  the  lobby  waiting  for  him. 

"  I  thought  you'd  come  right  up,"  cried  the 
senator's  son.  "  I  told  the  folks  I'd  meet  you. 
Of  course,  you  haven't  had  any  breakfast?  The 
folks  will  be  down  in  a  little  while  and  then  we'll 
all  go  to  breakfast  together." 

Roger  was  much  interested  to  learn  that  Dave 
had  met  three  of  their  old  chums,  and  wanted  to 
know  all  that  had  been  said  and  done.  The  fact 
that  our  hero  had  also  seen  Ward  Porton  was  a 
surprise. 

"  What  a  shame  you  didn't  capture  him,  Dave ! 
Maybe  you  might  have  got  on  the  track  of  that 
Basswood  fortune." 

"  Just  what  I  was  thinking,  Roger.  I  did  my 
best,  but  you  know  what  a  New  York  crowd  is. 
Porton  slipped  through  it  and  disappeared  almost 
like  magic." 

Senator  Morr  and  his  wife  greeted  Dave 
warmly.  The  four  had  breakfast  in  a  private 
dining-room,  and  during  the  course  of  the  meal  the 
senator  had  much  to  say  regarding  the  departure 
of  his  son  and  Dave  for  Texas. 

"  I  know  one  or  two  of  the  men  connected  with 
the  Mentor  Construction  Company,"  said  the 
senator.     "  They  are  very  fine  fellows,  and  I  think 


2o6     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

they  will  see  to  it  that  you  are  treated  rightly." 

"  Dad,  of  course,  has  some  influence  with 
them,"  broke  in  Roger,  "  being  a  senator,  you 
know." 

"  I  don't  use  my  influence  that  way,  Roger," 
answered  the  father,  shortly.  "  You  must  not  ex- 
pect special  favors  because  I  happen  to  be  a 
United  States  senator.  I  expect  you  to  make  your 
way  on  your  own  merit." 

"  And  that's  what  I'm  going  to  do,"  answered 
the  son,  promptly. 

"  I  do  hope  both  of  you  boys  keep  out  of  trou- 
ble," said  Mrs.  Morr.  "  You  are  going  close  to 
the  border  of  Mexico,  and  there  has  been  fighting 
going  on  along  that  border  for  many  months." 

"  We  are  not  going  down  there  to  get  into  any 
fights,"  answered  Dave.  "  We  are  going  down 
there  to  attend  strictly  to  business.  If  the  Mexi- 
cans will  only  leave  us  alone,  we'll  leave  them 
alone." 

Dave  and  Roger  had  at  first  thought  to  go  to 
Texas  by  the  way  of  New  Orleans  and  Houston, 
but  after  some  thought  they  decided  to  take  the 
journey  by  the  way  of  St.  Louis,  Kansas  City  and 
San  Antonio.  Their  train  was  to  leave  on  the 
following  morning,  so  that  the  two  youths  had  a 
whole  day  practically  to  themselves. 

"  Now  I  am  in  Washington  I'd  like  to  take  a 
look  around,"  said  Dave. 


DAVE  IN  WASHINGTON  207 

"  I  knew  you'd  like  to  do  that,  so  I  got  every- 
thing ready  beforehand,"  announced  his  chum. 
"  We'll  spend  to-day  in  sightseeing." 

They  visited  the  Capitol  and  the  White  House, 
and  numerous  other  buildings,  and  almost  before 
they  were  aware  it  was  evening.  Then  Mrs. 
Morr  insisted  upon  it  that  her  son  retire  early, 
knowing  what  a  hard  journey  was  before  him. 

The  senator's  son  had  received  word  that  the 
Mentor  Construction  Company  had  opened  a  tem- 
porary office  at  San  Antonio,  and  the  two  youths 
were  to  report  there  before  proceeding  farther. 
The  engineering  corps  to  which  they  had  been 
assigned  was  on  the  point  of  moving  from  one 
place  to  another,  and  they  were  to  get  definite  in- 
structions at  San  Antonio  regarding  their  further 
movements. 

"  Well,  good-bye  and  good  luck  to  you !  "  said 
the  senator,  who  came  down  to  the  depot  with 
them  to  see  them  off. 

"  Good-bye,  Dad,"  answered  Roger,  shaking 
hands  warmly.  Dave,  too,  shook  hands  with  his 
chum's  father. 

Then,  in  a  moment  more,  the  two  youths  were 
off  on  their  long  journey  to  Texas. 

"  This  kind  of  traveling  is  rather  different  from 
what  the  pioneers  put  up  with,"  remarked  Roger, 
as  the  two  settled  themselves  in  their  comfortable 
seats,  they  having  a  whole  section  of  the  sleeper 


2o8     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

to  themselves.  "  Think  of  what  it  must  have  been 
to  travel  thousands  of  miles  in  a  boomer  wagon 
behind  a  team  of  mules  or  oxenl  " 

*'  Yes,  Roger,  and  think  of  being  on  the  iQok- 
out  constantly  for  unfriendly  Indians  and  wild 
beasts,"  added  Dave.  "  I'll  tell  you,  when  you 
come  to  consider  the  luxuries  we  enjoy  these  days 
we  have  much  to  be  thankful  for." 

The  day's  run  was  a  pleasant  one,  and  the 
youths  enjoyed  it  greatly.  They  spent  the  time  in 
chatting  about  the  prospects  and  in  gazing  at  the 
swiftly-moving  panorama  to  be  seen  from  the  car 
window. 

"  It's  a  pity  we  have  to  sleep  when  there  is  so 
much  to  see,"  was  Dave's  comment,  as,  after  hav- 
ing passed  through  Cincinnati,  it  grew  time  to  re- 
tire. "  I'd  like  very  much  to  see  what  this  section 
of  the  country  looks  like." 

The  following  morning  found  them  crossing 
the  Mississippi  River.  They  passed  through  St. 
Louis,  and  then  the  train  headed  for  Kansas  City, 
where  they  were  to  change  for  Fort  Worth  and 
San  Antonio. 

The  train  for  San  Antonio  proved  to  be  much 
less  crowded  than  the  other  had  been.  As  before, 
the  youths  had  a  section  to  themselves,  and  none 
of  the  sections  near  them  was  occupied.  But 
when,  on  the  following  day,  the  train  stopped  at  a 
way  station  several  passengers  got  aboard,  includ- 


DAVE  IN  WASHINGTON  209 

ing  a  man  who  took  the  section  opposite  to  that 
occupied  by  our  friends. 

This  man  was  a  tall,  heavy-set  and  red-faced  in- 
dividual, having  reddish  hair  and  a  heavy  reddish 
mustache.  He  looked  the  youths  over  rather 
coldly,  and  then,  throwing  himself  down  in  his 
seat,  proceeded  to  read  a  newspaper. 

"  Doesn't  look  like  a  very  friendly  fellow," 
whispered  Roger  to  Dave.  "  I  was  hoping  we 
might  meet  somebody  who  would  warm  up  a  little 
and  tell  us  something  about  this  part  of  the  coun- 
try." 

"  You've  got  to  go  slow  in  making  friends  out 
in  a  strange  place  like  this,"  answered  Dave. 

"  Oh,  I  don't  know  about  that,  Dave,"  was  the 
quick  reply.  "  My  father  tells  me  that  folks  in 
the  West  and  Southwest  are  usually  very  friendly. 
We  found  them  so  on  our  way  to  Star  Ranch." 

The  boys  continued  to  talk  of  the  prospects 
ahead,  and  during  the  conversation  the  Mentor 
Construction  Company  was  mentioned  several 
times.  Then  Dave  noticed  that  the  burly  man 
opposite  had  dropped  his  newspaper  and  was  look- 
ing at  them  curiously.  Finally  the  man  arose  and 
stepped  across  the  aisle. 

"  Did  I  hear  you  young  fellows  speaking  about 
the  Mentor  Construction  Company?"  he  asked, 
not  unpleasantly. 

"  You  did,"  answered  Dave. 


2IO     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

"  Are  you  connected  with  that  concern?  "  went 
on  the  man. 

*'  We  are  going  to  work  for  them,"  answered 
Roger.  "  We  have  just  been  appointed  to  the 
engineering  department." 

"  You  don't  say !  "  cried  the  man  in  surprise. 
"  I'm  with  that  company  myself.  My  name  is 
WiUiam  Jarvey.     What  is  yours?  " 

The  boys  told  him,  and  all  shook  hands.  Then, 
as  Roger  crossed  over  to  sit  down  beside  Dave, 
the  man  sank  down  in  the  seat  opposite. 


CHAPTER  XXII 

IN  TEXAS  AT  LAST 

"  So  you  are  going  to  join  our  engineering  de- 
partment, eh?"  queried  William  Jarvey.  "Do 
you  know  anybody  in  that  department?  " 

"  We  don't  know  any  one  down  here,"  an- 
swered Dave.  "  We  are  utter  strangers.  We 
obtained  our  positions  through  a  Mr.  Ramsdell, 
who  was  our  tutor." 

"  Oh,  I  see."  The  man  had  been  looking 
rather  sharply  at  Dave.  "  May  I  ask  where  you 
come  from?  " 

"  We  come  from  New  England.  I  live  in  a 
town  called  Crumville.  My  friend  here  is  the 
son  of  United  States  Senator  Morr." 

"Oh,  indeed!"  William  Jarvey  showed  in- 
creased interest.  "  The  son  of  a  United  States 
senator,  eh?  Well,  that  ought  to  help  you  a 
great  deal.  The  Mentor  Construction  Company 
often  has  to  ask  the  government  for  favors,  you 
know,"  and  he  laughed  lightly. 

"  I'm  not  going  to  trade  on  the  fact  that  my 
father  is  a   United  States  senator,"   remarked 

211 


212     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

Roger,  somewhat  shortly.  "  I  am  going  to  make 
my  own  way." 

"  And  I  guess  you  will.  You  look  like  a  pretty 
bright  young  man,"  returned  William  Jarvey, 
hastily. 

"Are  you  a  civil  engineer?"  questioned  Dave. 

"  Oh,  no  1  No  such  luck  for  me.  I  am  con- 
nected with  the  bookkeeping  and  the  blue-print 
department.  I  wish  I  were  a  first-class  civil 
engineer.  I  might  be  earning  a  much  larger 
salary;  "  and  the  man  drew  down  his  mouth  as  he 
spoke.  Evidently  he  was  a  fellow  who  was  not  at 
all  satisfied  with  his  position  in  life. 

"  We  are  to  report  to  a  Mr.  Perry  Watson  at 
San  Antonio,"  explained  Roger.  "  He  is  to  tell 
us  where  to  go  and  what  to  do." 

"Perry  Watson,  eh?"  and  the  man  scowled 
and  showed  his  teeth  in  an  unpleasant  manner. 

"  What's  the  matter  —  don't  you  like  Mr.  Wat- 
son? "  asked  Dave. 

"  Not  much.  Very  few  of  the  men  do.  He's 
terribly  sharp  on  watching  everything  a  man 
does." 

"  I  sincerely  hope  we  don't  have  any  trouble 
with  him,"  was  Roger's  comment.  "  We'd  like  to 
start  right,  you  know." 

"  Well,  you'll  have  to  watch  yourselves  pretty 
closely,"  announced  William  Jarvey. 

The  talk  then  became  general,  and  the  burly 


IN  TEXAS  AT  LAST  213 

man  told  the  youths  much  about  the  work  being 
done  by  the  Mentor  Construction  Company.  It 
seemed  that  there  were  four  gangs  in  the  field,  two 
operating  south  of  San  Antonio,  and  the  others 
to  the  westward. 

"  It's  more  than  likely  you'll  be  sent  to  the 
west,"  he  said.  *'  I  think  the  gangs  in  the  south 
have  all  the  helpers  they  need.  I  am  going  west 
myself;  so  if  you  are  sent  that  way  perhaps  we'll 
see  more  of  each  other." 

"  Perhaps,"  answered  Dave.  He  was  not  par- 
ticularly elated  over  the  thought,  for  there  was 
something  about  William  Jarvey  which  did  not 
appeal  to  him.  The  man  was  evidently  very  over- 
bearing and  had  an  exceedingly  good  opinion  of 
himself. 

"  I'm  going  back  to  have  a  smoke,"  said  the 
man,  presently.     "  Will  you  come  and  join  me?  " 

"  Thank  you,  but  neither  of  us  smokes,"  an- 
swered Roger. 

"  What!  not  even  cigarettes?  " 

"  No,"  returned  Dave. 

"  Humph  I  I  don't  see  how  you  can  resist.  I 
would  feel  utterly  lost  without  a  cigar.  Well, 
I'll  see  you  later."  And  thus  speaking  Wiliam 
Jarvey  took  himself  off. 

"  I  sincerely  trust  the  rest  of  the  men  we  meet 
will  be  of  a  better  sort  than  that  fellow,"  re- 
marked Roger.     "  I  don't  like  his  make-up  at  all.'* 


214     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

"  I  agree  with  you,  Roger,"  answered  Dave. 
"  He  looks  like  a  chap  who  would  be  very  dicta- 
torial if  he  had  the  chance  —  one  of  the  kind  who 
loves  to  ride  over  those  under  him." 

"  I  can't  get  over  the  way  he  kept  looking  at 
you,  Dave.  He  acted  as  if  he  had  met  you  be- 
fore and  was  trying  to  place  you." 

"  I  noticed  he  did  look  at  me  pretty  closely  a 
number  of  times,"  answered  our  hero.  "  But  I 
took  it  that  he  was  only  trying  to  size  me  up. 
You  know  some  strangers  have  that  habit." 

"  Well,  he  didn't  look  at  me  that  way,"  con- 
tinued the  senator's  son.  "  I  believe  he  was  do- 
ing his  best  to  try  to  place  you." 

"  I  wish  I  had  asked  him  where  he  was  from. 
Maybe  that  might  have  given  us  some  sort  of 
clue  to  his  identity." 

"  Let's  ask  him  if  we  get  the  chance." 

On  the  journey  to  San  Antonio  they  had  an  op- 
portunity to  speak  to  William  Jarvey  a  number  of 
times,  and  once  they  sat  at  the  same  table  with 
him  in  the  dining-car.  When  asked  where  he 
came  from,  he  replied  rather  evasively  that  he 
had  lived  for  a  great  number  of  years  in  the 
Northwest,  but  that  he  had  left  that  section  of  the 
country  to  try  his  fortunes  in  Mexico. 

"  I  was  interested  in  the  mines  down  there,  and 
then  I  got  mixed  up  in  one  of  their  revolutions  and 
got  shot  in  the   leg,"   he   added.     *'  That  was 


IN  TEXAS  AT  LAST  215 

enough  for  me ;  so  I  crossed  the  Rio  Grande  into 
Texas,  and  by  luck  got  the  position  I  am  now  hold- 
ing with  the  Mentor  Company." 

"  Are  the  Mexican  revolutionists  interfering  at 
all  with  the  work  of  the  construction  company 
near  the  border?  "  questioned  Dave. 

"  Not  very  much.  One  gang,  that  was  work- 
ing on  one  of  the  railroad  bridges  not  many  miles 
from  the  Rio  Grande,  had  a  little  run-in  with  some 
raiders  who  came  across  the  river  to  steal  cattle. 
They  helped  the  ranchmen  drive  the  raiders  away, 
and  in  the  fight  one  fellow  was  shot  through  the 
shoulder." 

"  Well,  that  was  trouble  enough !  "  cried  Roger. 
"  It's  more  than  I'd  like  to  see." 

"  That's  right,"  returned  Dave.  "  We  didn't 
come  down  to  fight  the  Mexicans.  We  camfe 
down  to  become  civil  engineers." 

"  Oh,  I  don't  think  you'll  run  into  any  fighting," 
answered  William  Jarvey.  "  But,  of  course,  a 
good  many  of  those  greasers  are  very  treacherous 
and  there  is  no  telling  what  they  will  do.  They 
shoot  down  and  rob  anybody  they  meet  in  their 
own  country,  and  then,  when  there  is  nothing  in 
sight  on  that  side  of  the  river,  they  watch  their 
chance  and  come  over  on  this  side.  Of  course, 
United  States  soldiers  are  on  the  lookout  for 
them ;  so  they  don't  dare  to  make  their  raids  very 
public." 


2i6     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

It  developed  that  William  Jarvey  had  been  sent 
up  to  Denison  on  business  for  the  construction 
company.  He  carried  with  him  a  heavy  valise, 
and  also  a  large  roll  of  blue-prints. 

"  I  should  have  been  back  to  San  Antonio  yes- 
terday," he  exclaimed.  "  But  I  was  delayed  in 
Denison.  I  suppose  Perry  Watson  will  be  as  mad 
as  a  hornet  when  I  get  back  because  I  didn't  make 
it  as  quick  as  he  expected.  He  expects  an  awful 
lot  from  those  working  under  him." 

To  this  neither  of  the  youths  replied.  They 
had  noticed  that  William  Jarvey  smoked  a  great 
deal  and  that  his  breath  smelled  strongly  of  liquor, 
and  they  concluded  that  he  was  not  a  man  who 
would  be  likely  to  kill  himself  with  overwork. 

"  From  what  Jarvey  has  told  us  of  Mr.  Wat- 
son I  am  inclined  to  think  the  superintendent  is  a 
hustling  sort  of  fellow,"  remarked  Dave,  when 
he  and  Roger  were  left  alone.  "  And,  being  that 
kind  of  man,  he  probably  can't  stand  for  a  fellow 
who  wants  to  loaf  around  and  drink  and  smoke." 

"  I  guess  you've  sized  it  up  about  right,  Dave," 
answered  the  senator's  son.  "  In  these  days  the 
watchword  seems  to  be  '  keep  moving ' ;  and  a  fel- 
low has  got  to  '  get  there '  if  he  wants  to  hold 
down  his  job." 

At  last  the  train  rolled  Into  the  city  of  San 
Antonio.  Before  this  place  was  reached  William 
Jarvey  had  met  a  number  of  other  men  who  had 


IN  TEXAS  AT  LAST  217 

boarded  the  train  at  a  station  some  miles  away; 
and  he  was  so  interested  in  what  the  newcomers 
had  to  tell  him  that  he  seemed  to  forget  com- 
pletely the  presence  of  Dave  and  Roger. 

"  And  I'd  just  as  lief  he  would  forget  us,"  said 
our  hero  to  his  chum.  "  I'd  rather  go  to  Mr. 
Watson  alone  than  have  that  man  introduce  us." 

"  Exactly  the  way  I  feel  about  it,"  returned 
the  senator's  son.  "  Come  on,  let's  see  if  we 
can't  slip  away  from  him  through  the  crowd." 
This  they  did  easily,  and  soon  found  themselves 
walking  along  one  of  the  quaint  streets  of  San 
Antonio  bound  for  the  building  in  which  the  Men- 
tor Construction  Company  had  its  temporary  of- 
fices. 

Contrary  to  what  William  Jarvey  had  told 
them,  they  found  Mr.  Perry  Watson  a  very  pleas- 
ant man  with  whom  to  deal.  There  was  little  of 
nonsense  about  him,  and  he  lost  no  time  in  find- 
ing out  who  the  youths  were  and  for  what  they 
had  come.  But  his  manner  was  courteous,  and 
he  made  both  Dave  and  Roger  feel  thoroughly  at 
home. 

"  I  know  Mr.  Ramsdell  very  well.  He's  a  fine 
fellow,"  said  the  superintendent  of  the  construc- 
tion company.  "  I  had  a  personal  letter  from 
him  in  regard  to  you,  and  I'm  going  to  put  you 
out  under  one  of  the  best  men  we  have  down  here 
in  Texas,  Mr.  Ralph  Obray,  who  is  now  working 


2i8     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

on  the  construction  of  the  new  Catalco  bridge  to 
the  west  of  this  place.  He  is  expecting  some  new 
helpers,  and  he  asked  me  to  send  him  the  two  best 
fellows  I  could  find,  so  I  am  going  to  send  you," 
and  Mr.  Watson  smiled  slightly. 

"  Thank  you  very  much,  Mr.  Watson,"  an- 
swered Dave. 

"  Oh,  you  don't  have  to  thank  me.  Porter,"  re- 
turned the  superintendent,  quickly.  "  You  just 
go  out  and  make  good.  That  is  all  this  company 
asks  of  any  one  it  employs." 

"  When  do  you  want  us  to  start,  Mr.  Watson  ?  " 
questioned  Roger. 

"  You  can  suit  yourselves  about  that,  although 
the  sooner  you  report  to  Mr.  Obray  the  better  I 
think  he'll  be  pleased." 

The  superintendent  walked  to  a  back  door  of 
his  office  and  called  to  some  one  without. 

"  I'll  turn  you  over  to  one  of  our  clerks  and  he 
will  give  you  all  the  details  regarding  your  posi- 
tions," he  explained. 

The  clerk  proved  to  be  a  young  man  only  a  few 
years  older  than  Dave  and  Roger,  and  the  youths 
took  to  him  at  once.  He  explained  in  detail 
where  they  were  to  go  and  what  the  construction 
camp  located  near  the  new  Catalco  bridge  con- 
sisted of,  and  also  told  them  what  their  work 
would  probably  be  for  the  first  few  months. 

*'  Of  course,  you've  got  to  start  at  the  bottom 


IN  TEXAS  AT  LAST  219 

of  the  ladder,"  he  explained.  *'  But  you'll  find 
Mr.  Obray  a  splendid  man  to  be  under,  and  you'll 
probably  learn  more  under  him  than  you  would 
under  any  of  our  other  head  engineers." 

"  In  that  case  I'm  mighty  glad  Mr.  Watson  as- 
signed us  to  Mr.  Obray's  gang,"  answered  Dave. 

It  was  arranged  that  Dave  and  his  chum  should 
start  westward  early  the  following  morning. 
This  would  give  them  a  part  of  an  afternoon  and 
an  evening  in  San  Antonio  in  which  to  look  around 
and  take  in  the  sights  of  that  quaint  town. 

During  the  conversation  with  Mr.  Watson  and 
the  clerk,  Dave  had  been  rather  surprised  because 
William  Jarvey  had  not  shown  himself,  because  on 
the  train  he  had  said  he  was  behindhand ;  and  they 
had  naturally  supposed  he  would  come  to  the  of- 
fices without  delay.  Just  as  they  were  preparing 
to  leave  they  heard  an  angry  discussion  going  on 
in  Mr.  Watson's  private  office,  and  they  heard 
the  voices  of  the  superintendent  and  the  man  they 
had  met  on  the  train. 

"  I  gave  you  strict  orders  to  come  right  back, 
Jarvey,"  they  heard  Mr.  Watson  say.  "  You 
knew  we  were  waiting  for  those  blue-prints." 

"  I  was  delayed,"  growled  William  Jarvey  in 
return.  *'  You  see,  there  were  some  things  about 
the  prints — " 

"  I  don't  want  any  excuses,"  broke  in  Mr.  Wat- 
son.    "  The  blue-prints  were  all  right  and  were 


220     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

waiting  for  you.  You  took  a  day  off  simply  to  go 
and  have  a  good  time.  Now  I  want  to  warn  you 
for  the  last  time.  If  such  a  thing  happens  again 
I'll  discharge  you." 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

AT  THE  ENGINEERING  CAMP 

"  I  CAN  understand  now  why  that  man  Jarvey 
spoke  against  Mr.  Watson,"  remarked  Dave,  as 
he  and  his  chum  walked  along  the  main  street  of 
San  Antonio.  "  Mr.  Watson  evidently  has  no  use 
for  a  fellow  who  doesn't  attend  to  business." 

"  I  think  he's  all  right,  Dave,"  returned  Roger. 
"  Of  course,  he's  business  clean  through.  But  that 
is  what  you've  got  to  expect  from  a  man  who  holds 
such  a  position." 

*'  Exactly,  Roger.  The  fellow  who  takes  his 
own  time  and  does  things  about  as  he  pleases  has 
no  place  in  the  modern  business  world." 

The  two  youths  had  received  full  instructions 
regarding  what  they  were  to  do.  They  were  to 
take  a  train  westward  early  in  the  morning  for  a 
small  place  known  as  Molona,  situated  but  a  short 
distance  from  the  Rio  Grande.  There  they  were 
to  report  to  Mr.  Ralph  Obray.  Mr.  Watson  had 
asked  them  regarding  what  they  had  brought  along 
In  the  way  of  baggage,  and  on  being  questioned 
had  advised  them  to  purchase  several  other  things 
before  starting  for  the  engineering  camp. 

221 


222     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

"  This  is  certainly  an  odd  sort  of  place  —  quite 
different  from  a  New  England  town,"  was  Dave's 
comment,  as  he  and  his  chum  went  from  one  shop 
to  another  in  San  Antonio  in  quest  of  the  things 
they  wished  to  buy. 

"  Seems  to  me  that  it  has  quite  a  Mexican  flavor 
to  it,"  remarked  Roger.  "  Just  see  all  the  big 
hats  and  the  fringed  trousers." 

Now  that  they  had  come  so  far  the  chums  were 
eager  to  get  to  the  camp,  and  they  could  scarcely 
wait  until  the  following  morning.  They  found  a 
comfortable  hotel,  had  an  early  breakfast,  and  by 
seven  o'clock  were  on  their  way  westward. 

"  Now  we  are  almost  on  the  border,"  remarked 
Roger,  as  they  stopped  at  a  place  called  Del  Rio. 
He  was  studying  a  railroad  map.  "  At  the  next 
place,  called  Viaduct,  we  will  be  on  the  Rio 
Grande,  with  Mexico  just  across  from  us." 

"  It  isn't  such  a  very  grand  river  after  all,"  re- 
marked Dave,  when  they  came  in  sight  of  the 
stream.  "  It  looks  more  like  a  great  big  over- 
grown creek  to  me." 

"  You  can't  compare  these  rivers  with  the  Hud- 
son or  the  St.  Lawrence,  Dave.  But  I  suppose 
at  certain  seasons  of  the  year  this  river  gets  to  be 
pretty  big." 

Soon  their  train  rolled  into  Molona  and  the 
youths  alighted.     The  station  was  a  primitive  af- 


AT  THE  ENGINEERING  CAMP         223 

fair,  consisting  of  a  small  platform  and  a  building 
not  over  ten  feet  square. 

Word  had  been  sent  ahead  that  they  were  com- 
ing, and  among  the  several  Texans  and  Mexicans 
who  had  gathered  to  watch  the  train  come  in, 
they  found  a  middle-aged  man  on  a  burro  with  two 
other  burros  standing  behind. 

"  Are  you  the  young  fellows  for  the  Mentor 
camp?"  he  questioned,  as  Dave  and  Roger  ap- 
proached him. 

"  We  are,"  returned  our  hero,  quickly.  "  Did 
you  come  for  us  ?  " 

"  I  did.  Mr.  Watson  sent  a  wire  that  you  were 
coming,  so  the  boss  sent  me  here  to  get  you,  think- 
ing you  wouldn't  know  the  way.  Porter  and 
Morr,  I  believe  —  but  which  is  which?  " 

"  I  am  Dave  Porter,"  answered  Dave,  "  and 
this  is  my  chum,  Roger  Morr." 

"  Glad  to  know  you.  My  name  Is  Frank  An- 
drews. I  am  from  Scranton,  Pennsylvania.  I 
suppose  you  can  ride?" 

"  Oh,  yes,"  answered  Roger.  "  We  did  more 
or  less  riding  when  we  were  out  on  Star  Ranch." 

"Good  enough  I  Some  of  the  young  fellows 
who  come  out  here  can't  ride  at  all,  and  they  have 
some  trouble  getting  around,  believe  me !  This, 
you  know,  is  the  country  of  magnificent  distances," 
and  Frank  Andrews  laughed. 


224     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

"How  many  have  you  In  the  camp  here?" 
questioned  Dave,  after  he  and  Roger  had  mounted 
the  two  waiting  burros  and  were  riding  off  be- 
side the  man  from  the  engineering  camp. 

"  There  are  twenty  of  us  in  the  engineering 
gang,  and  I  think  they  have  about  seventy  to 
eighty  men  in  the  construction  camp,  with  forty 
or  fifty  more  on  the  way.  You  see,  they  have  been 
bothered  a  great  deal  for  hired  help  lately  on  ac- 
count of  the  trouble  with  the  Mexican  bandits  and 
revolutionists.  Lots  of  men  are  afraid  to  come 
down  here  to  work  for  fear  some  bandits  will 
make  a  raid  across  the  border  and  shoot  them 
down." 

"Have  you  had  any  trouble  lately?"  ques- 
tioned Roger,  quickly. 

"  We  had  trouble  about  two  weeks  ago.  A 
couple  of  dirty  Mexicans  came  Into  camp  and  were 
caught  trying  to  steal  away  that  night  with  some 
of  our  belongings.  One  of  the  fellows  got  a 
crack  on  the  head  with  a  club,  and  the  other  we 
think  was  shot  in  the  side.  But  both  of  them 
got  away  In  the  darkness." 

"  That's  Interesting,  to  say  the  least,"  remarked 
Dave,  drily.  "  I  guess  we've  got  to  sleep  with 
our  eyes  open,  as  the  saying  Is." 

"  You've  certainly  got  to  watch  yourself  while 
you're  down  here,"  answered  Frank  Andrews. 
"  There  is  more  talk  about  trouble  than  anything 


AT  THE  ENGINEERING  CAMP        225 

else,  but  the  talk  gets  on  some  of  the  men's  nerves, 
and  we  have  had  one  civil  engineer  and  two  help- 
ers leave  us  just  on  that  account.  They  said  they 
would  prefer  to  work  somewhere  in  the  United 
States  where  they  wouldn't  be  worried  thinking 
the  greasers  might  attack  them." 

As  the  party  rode  along  they  had  to  cross  a 
bridge  which  was  comparatively  new,  and  their 
guide  explained  that  this  structure  was  one 
erected  by  the  Mentor  Company.  Then  they 
went  over  a  slight  rise,  and  finally  came  into  view 
of  a  long  row  of  one-story  buildings  with  several 
rows  of  adobe  houses  behind  them. 

"  Here  we  are  at  the  camp  I  "  announced  the 
guide.  "  The  engineering  gang  lives  and  does 
business  in  these  houses  here,  and  those  huts  at 
the  back  are  used  by  the  construction  gangs." 

It  was  all  so  new  and  novel  to  Dave  and  Roger 
that  they  were  intensely  interested.  With  their 
guide  they  rode  up  to  the  main  building  and  dis- 
mounted. In  a  moment  more  they  found  them- 
selves inside  and  confronted  by  Mr.  Ralph  Obray, 
the  head  of  the  camp. 

"  Glad  to  see  you,"  he  said,  shaking  hands  after 
they  had  introduced  themselves.  "  We  are  rather 
short  of  helpers  just  now;  so  you'll  find  plenty  to 
do.  I  understand  Mr.  Ramsdell  has  given  you  a 
first-class  recommendation.  I  hope  that  you'll  be 
able  to  live  up  to  it,"  and  he  smiled  faintly. 


226  DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

*'  I'm  going  to  do  what  I  can,  Mr.  Obray," 
answered  Dave. 

"  And  so  am  I,"  added  Roger. 

Frank  Andrews  had  already  told  them  that  a 
man  with  a  wagon  would  be  sent  down  to  the  sta- 
tion for  their  trunks  and  suitcases,  all  of  which 
had  been  left  in  charge  of  the  station-master. 
The  youths  were  taken  to  one  of  the  buildings  not 
far  from  the  office,  and  there  assigned  to  a  room 
containing  two  cots. 

"  Of  course,  this  isn't  the  Biltmore  Hotel  or  the 
Waldorf  Astoria,"  remarked  Frank  Andrews, 
with  a  grin.  "  If  you  stay  out  here  you'll  have 
to  learn  to  rough  it." 

"  We  know  something  about  roughing  it  al- 
ready," answered  Dave.  "  If  the  other  fellows 
can  stand  it  I  guess  we  can." 

"  You  won't  find  it  so  bad  when  you  get  used  to 
It,"  answered  the  man.  "  Of  course,  it's  pretty 
hot  during  the  day,  but  the  nights  are  quite  com- 
fortable. We've  got  a  first-class  colored  cook, 
so  you  won't  find  yourselves  cut  short  on  meals." 

"  That's  good  news,"  answered  the  senator's 
son.  "  I  always  thought  that  a  good  meal  cov- 
ered a  multitude  of  sins,"  and  at  this  misquotation 
Frank  Andrews  laughed  heartily. 

The  man  had  already  been  despatched  to  get 
the  baggage,  and  after  it  arrived  Dave  and  Roger 
proceeded  to  make  themselves  at  home,  each  don- 


'HkKE   we  AK3  AT  THE  CAMP !  "   ANNOUNCED  THE  GUIDE. — Page  225. 


x7 


AT  THE  ENGINEERING  CAMP         227 

ning  such  clothing  as  they  saw  the  others  of  the 
engineering  corps  wearing. 

"  It's  good-bye  to  boiled  shirts  and  stiff  collars," 
said  Roger,  "  and  I'm  not  sorry  for  it." 

"  Nor  am  I,"  returned  Dave.  "  I'll  feel  much 
more  like  working  in  this  comfortable  outfit." 

Almost  before  they  knew  it,  it  was  noon,  and 
presently  they  saw  a  number  of  men,  some  of  them 
quite  young,  coming  in  to  dinner.  Through 
Frank  Andrews  they  were  introduced  to  all  the 
others,  and  then  placed  at  one  of  the  tables  in  the 
mess  hall  where  a  helper  of  Jeff,  the  cook,  served 
them  with  a  meal  which,  if  not  exactly  elegant, 
was  certainly  well-cooked  and  substantial. 

"  I  want  you  two  young  men  to  stay  around  the 
offices  for  the  rest  of  this  week,"  announced  Mr. 
Obray  to  them  after  the  meal.  "  That  will  give 
you  a  chance  to  familiarize  yourselves  with  what 
we  are  doing  in  the  way  of  constructions  in  this 
vicinity.  Then  next  week  you  can  go  out  with  the 
gang  and  begin  your  regular  field  practice." 

The  youths  soon  found  that  practical  work  in 
the  office  was  quite  different  from  the  theoretical 
work  done  under  Mr.  Ramsdell.  Still  their  tutor 
had  instructed  them  faithfully,  so  that  they  soon 
"  caught  on,"  as  Roger  remarked. 

When  they  did  not  understand  a  thing  they  did 
not  hesitate  to  ask  questions,  and  they  found  the 
other  persons  present  very  willing  to  explain  and 


228     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

to  help  them.  There  was  a  spirit  of  comradeship 
throughout  the  whole  camp  that  was  as  comforting 
as  it  was  beneficial. 

"  It  isn't  everybody  for  himself  here,"  ex- 
plained Frank  Andrews.  "  It  is  one  for  all. 
You  are  expected  to  do  all  you  can  for  the  other 
fellow,  and  in  return  it's  understood  that  he  will 
do  all  he  can  for  you." 

"  It's  a  fine  method,"  answered  Dave;  "  and  I 
don't  wonder  that  the  Mentor  Construction  Com- 
pany is  making  such  a  success  of  its  undertakings." 

One  day  our  hero  asked  Frank  Andrews  if  he 
knew  William  Jarvey.  At  the  question  the  man 
drew  down  the  corners  of  his  mouth  and  shook 
his  head  in  disgust. 

"  Yes,  I  know  Bill,"  he  answered.  "  He's  over 
in  the  offices  at  San  Antonio  mostly,  but  he  occa- 
sionally comes  out  here  on  business  for  Mr.  Wat- 
son. I  must  say  I  don't  like  him  very  much,  and 
I  don't  think  the  other  men  do  either.  He's  a 
fellow  who  likes  to  drink  now  and  then,  and  I 
understand  he  often  gambles.  That  is,  when  he 
has  the  money.  He's  usually  strapped  long  be- 
fore pay-day  comes  around." 

"  I  thought  he  might  be  that  sort  of  fellow," 
answered  Dave. 

"  He  got  into  a  row  with  Mr.  Watson  while 
we  were  at  San  Antonio,"  put  in  Roger,  and  re- 
lated a  few  of  the  particulars. 


AT  THE  ENGINEERING  CAMP         229 

"  If  Bill  doesn't  look  out  he'll  lose  his  job,  and 
it  will  be  too  bad,"  answered  Frank  Andrews, 
"  because  he  won't  be  likely  to  get  another  such 
easy  berth  in  a  hurry.  He  gets  good  money  for 
what  little  he  does.  He  hired  with  the  company 
as  a  first-class  bookkeeper,  but  I  understand  he  is 
only  ordinary  when  it  comes  to  handling  big 
masses  of  figures." 

"  Well,  I  didn't  like  him  when  I  met  him,  and 
I'd  be  just  as  well  satisfied  if  we  didn't  meet 
again,"  said  Dave. 

But  Dave's  wish  was  not  to  be  gratified.  He 
was  to  meet  William  Jarvey  in  the  future,  and 
that  meeting  was  to  bring  with  it  a  great  surprise. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

A   MIDNIGHT  ALARM 

"  Well,  Dave,  we  have  been  in  this  camp  just 
a  month  to-day.     How  do  you  think  you  like  it?  " 

"  I  like  it  first-rate,  Roger  —  in  fact,  better 
than  I  first  thought  I  would.  All  the  engineers 
and  assistants  are  so  kind  and  helpful." 

"  That's  what  they  are,"  returned  the  sena- 
tor's son.  "  And  I  think  we  are  getting  along 
famously.  Do  you  know,  I  am  actually  in  love 
with  the  construction  of  this  new  Catalco  bridge. 
I  think  it's  going  to  be  a  dandy  when  it's  com- 
pleted." 

"  Not  only  a  dandy,  Roger,  but,  unless  I  miss 
my  guess,  it  will  be  a  monument  to  the  skill  and 
ingenuity  of  the  Mentor  Construction  Company. 
I've  been  reading  up  on  all  kinds  of  bridges,  and 
I  think  the  construction  of  this  particular  bridge 
goes  ahead  of  most  of  them." 

"  One  thing  is  sure  —  Mr.  Obray  is  very  proud 
of  the  way  things  are  going.  I  heard  from  An- 
drews that  some  of  the  other  construction  com- 
panies thought  we  would  never  be  able  to  build 
this  bridge  the  way  it  is  going  up." 

230 


A  MIDNIGHT  ALARM  231 

The  talk  between  the  two  chums  was  held  in 
the  evening  after  work  for  the  day  had  come  to 
an  end.  Dave  and  Roger  stood  on  an  elevation 
of  ground  surveying  the  unfinished  bridge  —  or 
rather  chain  of  bridges  —  which  spanned  a  river 
and  the  marshland  beyond.  It  had  been  a  great 
engineering  feat  to  obtain  the  proper  foundations 
for  the  bridge  where  it  spanned  the  marshland, 
and  make  them  impervious  to  the  floods  which 
came  with  great  force  during  certain  seasons  of 
the  year. 

The  first  week  at  the  camp  had  been  spent  in 
the  offices,  but  all  the  other  time  had  been  put  in 
with  the  engineering  gang  that  was  superintending 
the  construction  of  the  far  end  of  the  bridge,  and 
also  the  laying  out  of  the  railroad  route  through 
the  hills  and  cuts  beyond.  The  work  had  proved 
fascinating  to  the  chums,  and  they  were  surprised 
to  see  how  quickly  the  time  passed. 

Dave  and  Roger  had  made  a  number  of  friends, 
but  none  more  agreeable  than  Frank  Andrews. 
Andrews  occupied  a  room  close  to  their  own,  and 
often  spent  an  evening  with  them. 

About  the  end  of  the  second  week  they  had  re- 
ceived word  concerning  William  Jarvey.  The 
bookkeeper  in  the  offices  at  San  Antonio  had  had  a 
violent  quarrel  with  Mr.  Watson  and  had  been 
discharged.  He  had  gone  of?  declaring  that  his 
being  treated  thus  was  unjustifiable,  and  that  he 


232     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

was  going  to  bring  the  Mentor  Construction  Com- 
pany to  account  for  it. 

"  I  guess  he's  nothing  but  a  bag  of  wind,"  was 
Roger's  comment,  on  hearing  this.  "  The  com- 
pany is  probably  much  better  off  to  have  such  a 
chap  among  the  missing." 

"  I  don't  see  what  he  can  do  to  hurt  the  com- 
pany," had  been  Dave's  answer.  "  He  was  prob- 
ably discharged  for  good  cause." 

Although  so  far  away  from  home,  it  must  not 
be  supposed  that  Dave  and  Roger  had  forgotten 
the  folks  left  behind.  They  had  sent  numerous 
letters  telling  of  their  various  experiences  and  of 
what  they  hoped  to  do  in  the  future.  In  return 
Roger  had  received  one  letter  from  his  father  and 
another  from  his  mother,  and  Dave  had  gotten 
communications  from  his  sister  Laura  and  from 
Jessie,  and  also  a  long  letter  from  Ben. 

Of  these  the  letter  received  from  Jessie  was  to 
our  hero  the  most  important,  and  it  must  be  con- 
fessed that  he  read  it  a  number  of  times.  The  girl 
was  greatly  interested  in  all  that  he  had  told  her 
about  his  work,  and  she  said  she  hoped  he  would 
become  a  great  civil  engineer,  and  that  she  cer- 
tainly trusted  he  would  not  have  any  trouble  with 
the  Mexicans. 

The  letter  from  Ben  Basswood  had  been  rather 
a  disheartening  communication.  Ben  wrote  that 
his  father  did  not  seem  to  regain  his  health  as 


A  MIDNIGHT  ALARM  233 

rapidly  as  the  doctor  had  anticipated,  and  that 
nothing  new  concerning  Ward  Porton  or  Tim 
Crapsey  had  been  uncovered.  Ben  added  that  he 
had  written  to  the  authorities  in  New  York  City 
concerning  Porton  and  had  received  word  back 
that  they  had  been  unable  to  locate  the  former 
moving-picture  actor. 

"  I  believe  the  loss  of  those  miniatures  has  had 
its  full  effect  on  Mr.  Basswood,"  remarked  Dave, 
when  speaking  of  the  matter  to  his  chum.  "  I 
suppose  It  makes  him  feel  blue,  and  that  retards 
his  recovery." 

*'  More  than  likely,"  answered  Roger.  "  A 
person  can't  very  well  throw  off  a  heavy  spell  of 
sickness  when  he  is  so  depressed  in  spirits.  It's 
too  bad  I  And  I  suppose  Mrs.  Basswood  feels 
dreadful  to  think  she  was  the  one  to  let  the  for- 
tune slip  out  of  their  hands." 

"  No  doubt  of  it,  Roger.  Of  course.  It's  easy 
enough  to  blame  her,  and  I  suppose  a  great  many 
of  their  neighbors  do.  But,  just  the  same,  place 
yourself  in  her  position  —  worried  half  to  death 
over  the  sickness  of  her  husband  —  and  you  might 
have  done  the  same  thing." 

It  was  a  warm  evening  and  the  chums  took  their 
time  In  returning  to  the  camp,  knowing  supper 
would  not  be  served  until  a  little  later.  During 
the  day  several  shots  had  been  heard  at  a  great 
distance  to  the  southward,  and  some  of  the  civil 


234     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

engineers  had  wondered  if  some  sort  of  a  scrim- 
mage was  taking  place  on  the  other  side  of  the  Rio 
Grande. 

"  If  a  fight  is  in  progress  I  hope  it  doesn't  ex- 
tend to  this  neighborhood,"  remarked  one  of  the 
engineers,  in  speaking  of  the  matter.  "  We've 
got  troubles  enough  of  our  own  —  getting  this 
bridge  right  —  without  having  the  greasers  in- 
terfering with  our  work;"  and  he  gave  a  grim 
laugh. 

When  the  chums  arrived  in  camp  they  found 
that  the  day's  mail  had  come  in.  There  was  a 
Washington  newspaper  for  Roger  containing  an 
address  delivered  in  the  Senate  by  Senator  Morr, 
and  also  a  long  letter  for  our  hero  from  Ben. 

"Well,  here  is  news  at  last  I  "  cried  Dave,  as 
he  scanned  the  communication.  "  Come  on  out 
here,  away  from  the  crowd,  Roger,  and  I'll  read 
it  to  you ;  "  and  then  he  led  the  way  to  a  corner  and 
acquainted  his  chum  with  the  contents  of  the  letter, 
which  was  as  follows : 

"  I  know  you  will  be  interested  to  learn  that  we 
have  at  last  heard  from  that  rascal,  Tim  Crapsey, 
who,  with  Ward  Porton,  got  the  miniatures  from 
my  mother.  Crapsey  sent  a  very  badly  written 
letter  to  my  father,  stating  that  he  and  Porton 
had  parted  company,  but  that  he  had  the  most  of 
the  miniatures, —  in  fact,  all  but  six  of  them. 

"  Crapsey  wrote  that  he  was  in  the  city  of  New 
York,  and  had  the  miniatures  in  a  safe  place,  and 


A  MIDNIGHT  ALARM  235 

that  he  would  return  them  to  us  for  fifteen  thou- 
sand dollars.  We  were  to  insert  a  personal  ad- 
vertisement in  one  of  the  New  York  newspapers 
if  we  were  willing  to  accept  his  offer,  and  then  he 
would  send  us  word  how  the  exchange  of  money 
for  the  miniatures  could  be  made. 

"  Of  course,  as  you  know,  my  father  is  still  sick. 
He  didn't  have  anything  like  fifteen  thousand  dol- 
lars in  cash  to  offer  Crapsey,  and  besides  that  Mr. 
Wadsworth  and  your  Uncle  Dunston  thought  it 
was  altogether  too  much  money  to  offer  a  thief 
like  that.  In  fact,  your  uncle  was  of  the  opinion 
that  they  should  only  try  to  lead  Crapsey  on,  so 
that  they  could  capture  him.  But  my  father, 
backed  up  by  Mr.  Wadsworth,  at  length  agreed  to 
put  up  five  thousand  dollars  in  order  to  get  the 
miniatures  back,  and  an  advertisement  was  in- 
serted in  the  newspapers  to  that  effect. 

"  We  waited  two  days  for  a  reply,  and  then 
came  a  scrawl  on  a  bit  of  paper  signed  by  Crap- 
sey, stating  that  he  was  having  trouble  of  another 
kind  and  could  not  for  the  present  keep  on  with 
his  negotiations.  After  that  my  father  inserted 
another  advertisement  asking  for  more  informa- 
tion, but  up  to  the  present  time  no  additional  word 
has  come  in. 

"  My  father  does  not  know  what  to  make  of  it. 
Your  folks  and  Mr.  Wadsworth  are  of  the  opinion 
that  either  Crapsey  was  trying  to  fool  them  and 
got  scared  or  else  that  the  rascal  has  been  caught 
by  the  police  for  some  other  crime  and  is  trying  to 
conceal  his  identity.  They  are  divided  on  the 
question  as  to  whether  to  believe  Crapsey  when  he 
wrote  that  he  and  Porton  had  parted  company  — 


236     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

they  are  half  inclined  to  believe  that  Porton  is  still 
with  him,  and  that  the  whole  scheme  was  framed 
up  by  Porton." 

"  That  is  certainly  interesting  news,"  remarked 
Roger,  after  both  had  perused  the  letter  a  second 
time.  "  And  it  settles  one  thing  —  and  that  is 
that  Tim  Crapsey  must  have  been  in  New  York 
with  Ward  Porton  at  the  time  we  saw  the  latter." 

"  Exactly,  Roger.  And  it  also  proves  beyond  a 
doubt  that  that  pair  were  really  the  thieves. 
Previous  to  this  we  only  supposed  such  to  be  the 
fact  —  we  really  couldn't  prove  it." 

"  Oh,  I  was  sure  of  it  all  along,  Dave." 

"  So  was  I,  Roger.  But  you  know  in  a  court 
of  law  it  is  one  thing  to  know  a  thing  and  another 
to  be  able  to  prove  it." 

The  two  young  civil  engineers  discussed  the  let- 
ter all  through  the  evening  meal  and  even  for 
some  time  later.  Then,  however,  Roger  turned 
to  his  newspaper,  to  read  with  care  the  address 
that  his  father  had  delivered.  Dave  was  also  In- 
terested in  this. 

"I'd  like  to  be  in  the  Senate  some  time  when 
your  father  was  speaking,"  he  remarked  to  his 
chum.  "  It  must  be  a  great  sight  to  sec  such  a 
body  as  that  when  it  is  in  session." 

"  It  is,  Dave,"  answered  his  chum.  *'  And  peo- 
ple come  thousands  of  miles  to  see  it." 

Before  retiring  for  the  night  Dave  penned  a  let- 


A  MIDNIGHT  ALARM  237 

ter  to  Ben,  and  also  sent  a  letter  to  Jessie,  and  an- 
other to  his  Uncle  Dunston  which  was  meant  for 
the  entire  household.  Roger  spent  the  time  in  a 
communication  to  his  mother,  and  also  in  a  long 
letter  to  Luke  Watson. 

The  night  proved  to  be  unusually  warm,  for 
the  breeze  which  was  usually  stirring  had  died 
down  completely.  Dave  fell  Into  a  fitful  doze, 
from  which  he  awoke  about  midnight  to  find  his 
mouth  and  throat  quite  parched. 

"  I  guess  I'd  better  get  up  and  get  a  drink,"  he 
told  himself,  "  and  then  I  may  be  able  to  sleep  bet- 
ter. Phewl  but  the  thermometer  has  certainly 
been  going  up  the  last  few  days." 

He  arose  to  his  feet  and  walked  out  of  the  room 
into  the  hallway  of  the  building,  where  in  one 
corner  there  was  a  water-cooler.  He  had  just 
finished  drinking  a  glass  of  water  when  a  sound 
from  outside  reached  his  ears.  There  was  a 
shout  from  a  distance,  followed  almost  instantly 
by  a  rifle  shot. 

"  Hello  1  what  can  that  mean?  "  he  cried. 

A  moment  later  came  more  shouts,  this  time  a 
little  closer  to  the  camp.  Then  two  more  rifle 
shots  rang  out  sharply  through  the  midnight  air. 

"  Something  Is  wrong,  that's  sure !  "  exclaimed 
the  youth.  Rushing  back  into  the  bedroom  he 
shook  Roger  vigorously.  At  the  same  time  he 
heard  others  getting  up  and  calling  to  each  other. 


238     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

wanting  to  know  what  the  shouts  and  shots  meant. 

"  What  do  you  want,  Dave?  "  asked  the  sena- 
tor's son,  sleepily. 

"  Get  up,  Roger  1  "  answered  our  hero,  quickly. 
"  Hurry  up  I  there  is  something  going  on  outside  ! 
I  just  heard  a  number  of  yells  and  several  rifle 
shots." 

"  You  don't  mean  it,  Dave  I  "  and  now  Roger 
was  on  his  feet  with  a  bound.  "  Maybe  it's  the 
greasers." 

"  I  don't  know  what  it  is,  Roger.  But  I  guess 
we  had  better  slip  into  our  clothing.  Maybe 
somebody  is  —     Listen !  " 

Dave  broke  off  short,  and  both  strained  their 
ears  to  hear  what  was  taking  place  outside.  They 
heard  a  confused  shouting,  followed  by  several 
yells.  And  then  came  a  volley  of  shots  —  five  or 
six  in  number. 

"  It's  an  attack  I  That's  what  it  is !  "  cried  the 
senator's  son.  "  I'll  bet  some  of  those  Mexican 
bandits  are  coming  over  here !  Oh,  Dave !  what 
do  you  suppose  we  had  better  do?  " 

"  I  don't  know,  except  that  we  had  better  slip 
on  our  clothing  and  get  our  pistols,"  answered 
Dave.     "  This  looks  as  if  it  might  be  serious." 

"  Up,  boys  I  Up  I  "  came  the  cry  from  some- 
body outside.  "  Get  your  guns  and  your  pistols ! 
The  Mexican  raiders  are  coming  this  way  1  " 


CHAPTER  XXy 

THE  MEXICAN   RAIDERS 

By  the  time  the  two  chums  had  hastily  donned 
their  clothing  and  possessed  themselves  of  the 
pistols  they  had  purchased  in  San  Antonio  on  the 
advice  of  Mr.  Watson,  the  camp  was  in  confusion 
from  end  to  end,  with  the  various  bosses  shouting 
orders  and  the  men  themselves  wanting  to  know 
what  the  trouble  was  and  what  they  had  better  do. 

"It's  some  of  those  confounded  greasers  I" 
cried  Frank  Andrews,  as  he,  too,  arose  and  armed 
himself.  He  had  a  repeating  rifle,  and  it  was 
known  to  Dave  and  Roger  that  he  was  an  excep- 
tionally good  shot. 

Andrews  led  the  way  from  the  building,  fol- 
lowed by  our  hero  and  Roger  and  several  others. 
In  the  meantime,  the  distant  shouting  and  shoot- 
ing seemed  to  have  moved  farther  westward,  In 
the  direction  where  the  new  Catalco  bridge  was 
being  constructed. 

"  It  can't  be  their  Intention  to  blow  up  the 
bridge?"  queried  Roger.  There  had  been  talk 
of  this  several  times. 

"  No  telling  what  those  rascals  are  up  to,"  an- 
239 


240     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

swered  Frank  Andrews.  "  This  may  be  only  a 
rumpus  kicked  up  to  cover  a  cattle  raid  or  some- 
thing like  that." 

In  the  midst  of  the  excitement  the  telephone  In 
the  main  office  began  to  ring  and  was  answered  by 
one  of  the  clerks.  A  few  minutes  later  he  came 
rushing  out  to  where  Mr.  Obray  stood  talking  to 
his  assistant  and  the  boss  of  the  construction  camp. 

"  Just  got  a  telephone  from  the  Tolman  ranch," 
announced  the  clerk.  "  Old  man  Tolman  said 
they  had  been  raided  and  that  half  of  the  raiders 
were  coming  this  way.  I  tried  to  get  some  details 
from  him,  but  in  the  midst  of  the  talk  I  was  shut 
off.     I  suppose  somebody  cut  the  wire." 

"  I  thought  that  might  be  It,"  answered  the  head 
of  the  engineering  corps. 

"  We  ought  to  help  Tolman  all  we  can,"  an- 
nounced the  boss  of  the  construction  camp.  "  He 
promised  to  assist  us  in  case  we  had  any  trouble, 
and  turn  about  is  fair  play." 

"  Right  you  are,  Peterson,  and  any  man  who 
wants  to  go  out  can  do  It."  And  word  was  passed 
around  to  this  effect. 

Dave  and  Roger  listened  to  this  talk  and  what 
followed  with  much  interest.  In  less  than  five 
minutes  over  thirty  men  from  the  construction 
camp  had  signified  their  willingness  to  go  after 
the  raiders,  and  these  men  were  joined  by  Frank 


THE  MEXICAN  RAIDERS  241 

Andrews  and  three  other  civil  engineers,  all  well 
armed  and  mounted. 

"  I'd  like  to  join  that  crowd  and  go  after  those 
Mexicans  1  "  exclaimed  Dave,  his  eyes  sparkling. 

"  So  would  II"  returned  the  senator's  son, 
quickly.  "  Those  fellows  can't  be  anything  but 
plain  bandits  and  cattle  thieves." 

"  Sure  I  No  regular  revolutionists  would  come 
over  the  border  and  act  in  this  fashion." 

"  What  do  you  say,  Dave  —  shall  we  go?  " 

"  I'm  willing." 

"  No,  no  I  You  young  fellows  had  better  stay 
in  the  camp,"  announced  Ralph  Obray,  who  over- 
heard the  talk.  "  Just  remember  that  in  a  cer- 
tain sense  I  am  responsible  for  your  safety  while 
you  are  under  me." 

"  But  those  others  are  going,"  returned  Dave, 
somewhat  reproachfully. 

"  So  they  are.  Porter.  But  they  are  all  older 
than  you,  and  most  of  them  have  had  experience 
in  this  sort  of  thing.  I  would  rather  that  you 
stayed  here.  Maybe  if  those  raiders  come  this 
way  we'll  have  our  hands  full  defending  the 
camp." 

Dave  and  Roger  realized  that  for  the  head  of 
the  camp  to  express  his  desire  in  this  instance  was 
equal  practically  to  a  command;  so  they  at  once 
gave  up  the  idea  of  following  Frank  Andrews  and 


242     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

the  others.  The  men  rode  off  quickly,  and  were 
soon  lost  to  sight  In  the  darkness  of  the  night. 

An  hour  of  Intense  anxiety  passed.  During 
that  time  those  left  In  the  camp  heard  an  occa- 
sional shot  In  the  distance.  Then  several  shots 
seemed  much  closer.  There  followed  some  yell- 
ing, and,  then  about  five  minutes  later,  came  a 
dull  explosion. 

*'  That's  at  the  bridge  I "  exclaimed  Dave. 
"  They  must  be  trying  to  blow  It  up  I  " 

The  dull  explosion  was  followed  by  a  sudden 
rattle  of  rifle  and  pistol  shots  and  more  yelling. 
Once  or  twice  some  men  seemed  to  come  quite 
near  to  the  construction  camp,  the  hoof  strokes 
of  the  horses  being  distinctly  heard. 

All  who  remained  In  the  camp  were  on  the  look- 
out, and  each  man  stood  ready  with  his  weapon  to 
do  what  he  could  to  defend  the  place  should  the 
occasion  arise.  But  with  the  explosion  and  the 
rattle  of  rifle  and  pistol  shots  that  followed,  the 
conflict  seemed  to  die  down,  and  presently  all  be- 
came utter  silence;  and  thus  two  more  hours 
passed. 

"  Whoever  they  were,  they  seem  to  have  left 
this  vicinity  entirely,"  said  Roger. 

"  I  wish  It  was  morning,"  put  in  another  of  the 
young  men  present.  The  watching  was  beginning 
to  get  on  his  nerves. 


THE  MEXICAN  RAIDERS  243 

At  last,  just  as  the  first  streaks  of  dawn  were  be- 
ginning to  show  in  the  eastern  sky,  a  number  of 
horsemen  were  descried  approaching  from  the 
southward.  All  in  the  camp  were  instantly  on 
their  guard,  but  it  was  soon  seen  that  it  was  their 
friends  who  were  coming  back.  They  came  in 
somewhat  of  a  horseshoe  formation,  driving  in 
their  midst  four  prisoners,  one  of  them  with  his 
arm  done  up  in  a  sling  and  another  with  his  head 
bandaged. 

"  They've  got  somebody !  "  exclaimed  Roger,  as 
the  crowd  came  closer,  "  Four  greasers !  " 

*'  Three  of  them  look  like  Mexicans,  but  the 
other  fellow  looks  like  an  American,"  returned 
Dave,  as  the  party  came  to  a  halt  in  front  of  the 
camp  buildings. 

Those  who  had  come  in  were  at  once  surrounded 
by  the  others,  who  wanted  to  know  the  particulars 
of  what  had  taken  place. 

"  It  was  a  band  of  about  thirty  greasers,  and^ 
with  them  were  two  or  three  Americans,"  an- 
nounced Frank  Andrews.  "  They  went  down  to 
old  man  Tolman's  corral  and  tried  to  drive  off 
about  two  hundred  head  of  cattle.  They  got 
away  from  the  ranch,  and  then  part  of  the  gang 
came  over  this  way  in  the  vicinity  of  the  new 
bridge.  We  had  two  running  fights  with  them, 
and  then  they  let  the  cattle  go  and  started  for  the 


244     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

Rio  Grande.  But  before  they  went  one  of  the 
rascals  set  off  a  bomb  near  the  end  of  the  bridge 
and  blew  up  a  corner  of  the  foundation." 

"  Why  in  the  world  did  they  want  to  blow  up 
the  bridge?  "  demanded  Mr.  Obray. 

"  They  weren't  all  Mexicans,  Mr.  Obray.  Sev- 
eral of  them  were  Americans.  We've  got  one  of 
the  Americans  right  here.  And  do  you  know  who 
it  is  ?     Jack  Pankhurst  I  " 

"What's  thatl"  exclaimed  the  head  of  the 
camp,  and  then  he  turned  to  the  prisoners.  One 
man  had  his  sombrero  pulled  well  down  over  his 
forehead,  as  if  somewhat  ashamed  of  himself. 

"  There  he  is,"  went  on  Frank  Andrews,  point- 
ing to  this  individual.  "  That's  Jack  Pankhurst, 
who  was  discharged  for  drinking  and  gambling 
about  two  months  ago." 

Mr.  Obray  strode  up  to  the  prisoner  and  gave 
him  a  tap  under  the  chin,  thus  elevating  his  face. 

"  You're  a  fine  specimen  of  humanity,  Pank- 
hurst I  "  he  cried  sternly.  "  A  fine  business  for 
you  to  be  in  —  joining  Mexican  outlaws  and  be- 
coming a  cattle  rustler.  What  have  you  to  say 
for  yourself?" 

"  I  haven't  anything  to  say,"  grumbled  the 
prisoner.  *'  What's  the  use  ?  I  was  caught  with 
the  goods,  wasn't  I?  "  he  sneered. 

"  I'm  ashamed  to  think  an  American  would  go 
in  with  a  bunch  of  Mexican  bandits,"  said  Mr. 


THE  MEXICAN  RAIDERS  245 

Obray;  and  then  gave  directions  that  the  prisoners 
should  be  well  bound  so  that  there  would  be  no 
possibility  of  their  escaping. 

All  listened  with  interest  to  the  details  of  the 
cattle  raid  so  far  as  the  men  who  had  gone  out 
from  the  construction  camp  could  relate.  They 
said  that  some  of  the  fighting  had  been  exceedingly 
hot,  and  they  were  satisfied  that  a  number  of  the 
Mexicans,  and  also  one  of  the  Americans  with 
them,  had  been  wounded. 

They  themselves  had  not  escaped  unscathed, 
one  man  being  hit  in  the  shoulder  and  another  in 
the  leg.  Fortunately,  however,  neither  of  these 
wounds  proved  serious.  The  camp  doctor  was 
called  in  to  attend  them,  after  which  he  attended 
the  wounded  prisoners.  In  the  meantime,  a  mes- 
sage was  sent  to  the  railroad  station  and  to  San 
Antonio,  to  acquaint  the  authorities  with  what  had 
occurred. 

"  I  was  questioning  Pankhurst  on  the  way 
here,"  said  Frank  Andrews  to  the  head  of  the 
camp.  "  He  wouldn't  admit  it  outright,  but  I  am 
strongly  of  the  opinion  that  one  of  the  other 
Americans  who  was  with  him  was  Bill  Jarvey." 

"Jarvcyl"  muttered  Mr.  Obray.  "Well,  it 
would  be  just  like  him  to  join  a  fellow  like  Pank- 
hurst. They  were  quite  chummy  when  they  both 
worked  for  the  company." 

"  I've  got  another  idea  about  this  affair,'*  went 


246     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

on  Andrews.  "  Do  you  remember  how  they  said 
Jarvey  vowed  he  would  get  square  with  the  com- 
pany for  discharging  him  ?  I've  got  an  idea  that 
it  was  his  scheme  to  attempt  to  blow  up  the  bridge, 
and  that  he  was  the  one  who  set  off  that  bomb. 
Their  idea  was  to  get  the  cattle  to  some  safe  place 
first,  and  then  ruin  the  bridge.  More  than  likely 
Jarvey  and  Pankhurst  made  a  deal  with  the 
greasers  to  that  effect  —  the  Americans  to  help 
with  the  cattle  and  the  Mexicans  to  help  destroy 
our  work." 

"  You  may  be  right,  Andrews,"  answered  Ralph 
Obray.  "  And  if  you  are,  it's  a  pity  that  you 
didn't  catch  Jarvey." 

Dave  and  Roger  listened  to  this  talk  with  Inter- 
est, and  also  joined  in  the  general  discussion  of 
those  in  the  camp  regarding  the  raid,  and  what 
would  be  done  with  the  prisoners. 

"  I  suppose  they  will  turn  the  prisoners  over  to 
the  United  States  authorities,"  was  Dave's 
opinion;  and  in  this  he  was  right.  Some  govern- 
ment officers  appeared  by  noon  of  the  next  day, 
and  after  a  lengthy  talk  with  the  head  of  the  camp 
and  a  number  of  others,  the  prisoners,  including 
Jack  Pankhurst,  were  taken  away. 

"  I  wonder  if  old  man  Tolman  got  his  cattle 
back,"  remarked  Roger. 

"  All  but  three  of  the  animals,"  answered  one 
of  the  men  present.     "  Those  were  trampled  to 


THE  MEXICAN  RAIDERS  247 

death  during  the  raid.  But  three  are  nothing 
alongside  of  two  hundred." 

The  raid  had  caused  so  much  excitement  in  the 
camp  that  there  was  but  little  work  done  that  day. 
The  boys  went  down  with  the  others  to  inspect 
the  bridge,  and  look  curiously  at  the  hole  which 
had  been  torn  in  the  corner  of  one  of  the  founda- 
tions by  the  bomb. 

"  That  was  certainly  a  mean  piece  of  business," 
was  our  hero's  comment.  "  It  didn't  do  anybody 
a  bit  of  good,  and  it's  going  to  make  a  good  deal 
of  work  to  repair  the  damage." 

Several  days  passed,  and  the  camp  at  last  set- 
tled back  into  its  usual  routine.  Dave  and  Roger 
worked  as  hard  as  ever,  and  both  were  much 
pleased  when  Mr.  Obray  told  them  that  they  were 
doing  very  well. 

"  I  am  going  to  write  a  letter  to  Mr.  Rams- 
dell,"  said  the  head  of  the  camp,  "  and  tell  him 
that  I  am  well  satisfied  with  his  pupils,"  and  he 
smiled  faintly. 

A  day  or  two  later  word  came  to  the  camp 
which  interested  the  chums  as  much  as  it  did  any- 
body. It  seemed  that  Jack  Pankhurst  had  been 
subjected  to  a  "  third  degree  "  of  questioning. 
He  had  broken  down  completely  and  confessed 
that  the  two  other  Americans  in  the  raid  with  him 
had  been  former  employees  of  the  Mentor  Con- 
struction Company  —  one  a  fellow  named  Pack- 


248     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

ard  Brown,  and  the  other  William  Jarvey. 
Pankhurst  had  also  let  fall  the  information  that 
Jarvey  had  once  been  an  officer  in  the  United 
States  Army,  and  that  he  was  traveling  under  an 
assumed  name. 

"  A  former  officer  of  our  army  and  acting  in 
that  way  I  "  exclaimed  Dave,  when  he  heard  this 
report.  "  I  certainly  do  hope  they'll  catch  him 
and  punish  him  as  he  deserves !  " 

"  My  sentiments  exactly  I  "  added  Roger. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

THE  CHASE  ON  THE  BRIDGE 

"My,  Dave!  but  It's  hot!" 

"  I  agree  with  you,  Roger.  This  is  the  hottest 
day  we've  struck  yet.  And  such  a  hard  day  as 
it's  been  too !  "  and  our  hero  paused  to  wipe  the 
perspiration  from  his  brow. 

"  What  do  you  say  if  we  take  a  swim  this  eve- 
ning?" went  on  the  senator's  son.  "A  plunge 
into  the  river  would  feel  good  to  me." 

"  I'm  with  you,  Roger.  Let  us  eat  a  light 
supper  and  get  down  to  the  river  before  it  grows 
too  dark." 

Four  weeks  had  passed  since  the  events  nar- 
rated in  the  last  chapter,  and  matters  in  and 
around  the  construction  camp  had  once  more 
quieted  down.  Work  was  being  pushed  forward 
rapidly,  and  Dave  and  Roger  were  making  excel- 
lent progress  in  their  chosen  profession.  They 
had  made  a  warm  personal  friend  of  Frank  An- 
drews, as  well  as  a  friend  of  Mr.  Obray,  and  both 
of  these  individuals  gave  them  many  instructions 
during  off  hours  which  proved  highly  beneficial. 

No  more  had  been  heard  from  the  Mexican 
249 


250     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

raiders,  and  it  was  hoped  that  those  bandits  had 
departed  for  some  other  locality  along  the  Rio 
Grande.  The  prisoners  taken  during  the  raid 
were  still  in  jail,  awaiting  trial. 

Down  along  the  stream  over  which  the  new 
Catalco  bridge  was  being  constructed  there  was  a 
favorite  swimming  place  used  by  the  civil  engi- 
neers and  their  assistants,  the  men  and  boys  of  the 
construction  gang  using  another  spot  farther  down 
the  stream. 

"  I'll  beat  you  getting  in,  Dave  I  "  cried  Roger, 
as  the  pair  neared  the  bathing  place  that  evening, 
and  he  started  to  take  off  some  of  his  clothes. 

"  Don't  jump  in  too  quickly,  Roger,"  warned 
our  hero.  "  Remember  you  have  just  been  eat- 
ing and  you  are  rather  warm.  Better  take  it  easy 
on  the  bank  for  a  little  while." 

"  I  guess  you're  right,"  was  the  reply.  "  I 
don't  want  to  get  a  cramp  or  a  chill,  or  anything 
like  that." 

To  reach  the  swimming  spot,  the  chums  had  to 
pass  one  end  of  the  new  bridge.  As  they  drew 
closer  they  saw  somebody  high  up  on  the  skeleton 
structure  gazing  at  them  curiously. 

"  Hello  I  who's  that  up  there  ? "  remarked 
Dave. 

"  I'm  sure  I  don't  know,"  answered  Roger.     "  I 
thought  all  our  men  were  back  in  camp." 
r     As  they  came  still  closer  the  individual  on  the 


THE  CHASE  ON  THE  BRIDGE         251 

bridge  turned  to  walk  toward  them.  Suddenly, 
however,  he  stopped  short  and  tried  his  best  to 
hide  himself  behind  some  of  the  steel  work. 

"Say I  that  looks  rather  queer  to  me,"  re- 
marked Dave.  *'  He  acts  just  as  if  he  didn't  want 
us  to  see  him." 

'*  Just  what  I  thought,  Dave."  The  senator*s 
son  gave  a  sudden  start.  *'  You  don't  suppose  it's 
one  of  those  Mexican  raiders,  do  you  ?  " 

"  I  can't  say  anything  about  that.  I'm  going 
up  there  to  find  out  who  he  is.  It  seems  to  me  he 
is  acting  very  suspiciously.  Maybe  he's  trying 
to  plant  some  more  bombs." 

Dave  turned  back  to  a  point  where  he  could  get 
up  on  the  bridge,  and  his  chum  followed.  From 
this  point  they  could  not  see  the  person  above  them 
nor  could  he  see  them.  When  they  reached  the 
flooring  of  the  big  bridge  they  were  less  than  two 
hundred  feet  from  where  the  unknown  person 
stood.  He  was  leaning  over  the  side  of  the  struc- 
ture, evidently  trying  to  find  out  what  had  become 
of  them. 

"  Why,  Dave,  he  —  he  ^ — >.  looks  like  you  I  " 
burst  out  the  senator's  son,  as  both  hurried  in  the 
direction  of  the  unknown  person. 

"I  do  believe  it's  Ward  PortonI"  ejaculated 
our  hero.  He  began  to  quicken  his  pace.  "  Yes, 
I'm  almost  sure  it's  Porton,"  he  added,  a  few  sec- 
onds later. 


252     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

"  If  It's  Porton  what  In  the  world  tempted  him 
to  follow  you  to  this  place?  "  queried  Roger. 

"  I  don't  know.  But  I  do  know  that  I'm  going 
to  capture  him  if  It  is  possible  to  do  so,"  answered 
Dave,  with  determination. 

The  two  chums  were  still  almost  a  hundred  feet 
from  the  other  person  when  the  latter  glanced  up 
suddenly  and  discovered  them.  He  looked  them 
full  In  the  face  for  just  an  instant,  and  then  turned 
and  began  to  run  away  towards  the  opposite  end 
of  the  long  bridge. 

"It's  Porton,  sure  enough  I"  burst  out 
Roger. 

"Hi  there,  Porton  I  Stop!"  cried  Dave. 
"Stop,  I  tell  you  1" 

"You  go  on  back!"  yelled  Ward  Porton,  in 
an  ugly  voice.  "  Go  on  back,  I  tell  you  I  If  you 
don't  it  will  be  the  worse  for  you  I  "  and  he  shook 
his  fist  at  the  chums. 

"  You  might  as  well  stop,"  continued  Dave,  un- 
daunted by  the  threat.  "  You  can't  get  away 
from  us.  If  you  try  to  jump  off  the  unfinished  end 
of  the  bridge  you'll  break  your  neck." 

"  If  you  fellows  don't  go  back  I'll  shoot,"  re- 
turned the  fellow  who  resembled  Dave.  "  Stop 
right  where  you  are  I  Don't  dare  to  come  a  step 
closer !  " 

"Oh,  Dave!  do  you  suppose  he  Is  armed?" 
questioned  Roger,  hastily  and  In  a  low  tone. 


THE  CHASE  ON  THE  BRIDGE         253 

"  Maybe  he  is.  But  I  am  going  to  keep  on 
after  him  until  he  shows  his  pistol,"  was  the  rapid 
reply.  "  You  need  not  come  if  you  don't  want 
to.  I'm  going  to  capture  him  and  make  him 
give  up  the  Basswood  fortune." 

"  If  you  are  going  after  him,  so  am  I,"  re- 
turned the  senator's  son,  sturdily.  "  Maybe  it 
was  only  a  bluff  about  shooting  after  all." 

While  running  along  the  bridge  Dave's  eyes 
fell  on  a  short  steel  bar  left  there  by  one  of  the 
workmen.  He  stopped  just  long  enough  to  pick 
the  bar  up,  and  then  went  after  Porton  with  all  the 
speed  at  his  command. 

It  was  a  perilous  chase,  for  in  many  places  the 
flooring  of  the  big  bridge  was  still  missing  and 
they  had  to  leap  from  girder  to  girder  of  the 
steel  structure. 

"  Stop,  I  tell  you !  "  yelled  Ward  Porton  once 
more,  when  Dave  was  within  ten  yards  of  him. 
And  then  he  turned  squarely  around  and  our  hero 
and  Roger  saw  the  glint  of  a  pistol  as  the  rascal 
pointed  it  toward  them. 

"  He  is  armed !  "  cried  Roger,  and  now  there 
was  a  note  of  fear  in  his  voice,  and  not  without 
reason. 

*'  Get  behind  the  steel  work,"  ordered  Dave, 
and  lost  no  time  in  dodging  partly  out  of  sight. 
As  he  moved,  however,  he  launched  forth  the  steel 
bar  he  had  picked  up. 


254  DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

More  by  good  luck  than  anything  else  the  bar 
sped  true  to  its  mark.  It  struck  Ward  Porton 
in  the  forearm,  the  hand  of  which  was  holding  the 
pistol.  In  another  instant  the  weapon  was  clat- 
tering down  through  the  steel  work  of  the  bridge 
to  the  river  far  below. 

"  Hurrah,  Dave!  you've  disarmed  himl  "  cried 
Roger. 

For  the  instant  Ward  Porton  seemed  dazed  by 
the  sudden  turn  of  affairs.  Evidently,  however, 
the  blow  from  the  steel  bar  had  not  hurt  him 
much,  for,  turning  quickly,  he  continued  his  flight 
along  the  bridge.  Dave  and  Roger  lost  no  time 
in  following  him. 

It  was  not  long  before  the  fugitive  and  those 
behind  him  reached  a  section  of  the  long  bridge 
which  v/as  far  from  completed.  Here  there  was 
practically  no  flooring,  and  Ward  Porton  had  to 
jump  from  one  piece  of  steel  work  to  another, 
while  Dave  and  Roger,  of  course,  had  to  do  the 
same.  Once  those  in  the  rear  saw  the  rascal 
ahead  make  a  misstep  and  plunge  downward. 
But  he  saved  himself,  and,  scrambling  to  his  feet, 
dashed  forward  as  madly  as  before. 

"  Take  care,  Dave,  it's  dangerous  here," 
gasped  Roger;  and  scarcely  had  he  spoken  when 
he  himself  made  a  misstep  and  shot  down  below 
the  level  of  the  bridge  flooring. 

Dave  was  several  feet  in  advance,  but  turned 


THE  CHASE  ON  THE  BRIDGE         255 

instantly  when  his  chum  let  out  a  cry  of  alarm. 
He  saw  Roger  four  or  five  feet  below  him, 
clinging  frantically  to  one  of  the  stays  of  the 
bridge. 

"  Hel  —  help  m  —  me  I  "  panted  the  unfor- 
tunate youth. 

"  Hold  tight,  Roger.  I'll  help  you,"  returned 
Dave,  quickly. 

The  stay  below  was  so  small  in  diameter  that  all 
Roger  could  do  was  to  cling  to  it  with  both  hands 
and  one  leg.  In  this  position  he  hung  until  Dave 
let  himself  down  several  feet  and  managed  to  give 
him  a  hand.  Then  with  extreme  caution  both 
worked  their  way  back  to  the  unfinished  flooring 
of  the  bridge. 

"Oh  myl  I  thought  sure  I  was  a  goner  I'* 
panted  the  senator's  son,  when  he  found  himself 
safe  once  more.  He  had  turned  white  and  he 
was  trembling  from  head  to  foot. 

"  I  guess  you  had  better  not  go  any  farther, 
Roger,"  remarked  Dave.  "  This  certainly  is 
dangerous  work." 

"  It's  a  wonder  Porton  doesn't  fall,"  was  the 
other's  comment,  as  they  both  watched  the  fleeing 
rascal,  who  was  leaping  from  girder  to  girder  with 
a  recklessness  that  was  truly  amazing. 

"  He's  scared  stiff  at  the  idea  of  being  cap- 
tured," was  Dave's  comment.  "  If  it  wasn't  for 
that,  I   don't  believe   he   would   take   any   such 


256     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

chance ; "  and  in  this  surmise  our  hero  was  prob- 
ably correct. 

Dave  hated  to  give  up  the  chase,  so  he  con- 
tinued his  way  along  the  bridge,  making  sure,  how- 
ever, of  every  step  and  jump  he  took.  Roger  re- 
mained where  he  was,  too  shaken  up  to  proceed 
farther  when  he  knew  that  each  step  would  prove 
more  hazardous  than  the  last. 

At  last  Ward  Porton  gained  a  point  where  one 
of  the  foundations  of  the  bridge  rested  on  com- 
paratively solid  ground,  with  the  river  behind  and 
a  wide  stretch  of  marshland  ahead.  Here  there 
was  a  long  ladder  used  by  the  workmen,  and  down 
this  the  rascal  went  as  fast  as  his  feet  could  carry 
him.  By  the  time  Dave  reached  the  top  of  the 
ladder,  Porton  was  well  on  his  way  over  the  solid 
ground.  Soon  the  gathering  darkness  hid  him 
from  view. 

Knowing  that  it  would  be  next  to  useless  to  at- 
tempt to  follow  the  rascal  now  that  he  had  left 
the  vicinity  of  the  bridge,  Dave  returned  to  where 
he  had  left  Roger.  Then  the  pair  started  slowly 
back  to  the  end  of  the  bridge  from  which  they  had 
come. 

"  I  can't  understand  what  brought  Ward  Por- 
ton here,"  remarked  Roger,  when  the  chums  had 
once  more  gained  the  swimming-place.  *'  Do  you 
suppose  he  knew  you  were  in  this  vicinity,  Dave?  " 

*'  Possibly,  Roger.     But  at  the  same  time,  I 


"Hold  tight,  Kogbr!    I'll  help  you,"  rkturned  Davk,  quickly. 

Page  265. 


f 
;  r  ■ 


THE  CHASE  ON  THE  BRIDGE         257 

don't  think  that  would  explain  his  presence  here. 
He  wouldn't  dare  to  impersonate  me  around  this 
camp.  He'd  be  sure  to  be  caught  at  it  sooner  or 
later." 

"  Well,  I  don't  understand  it  at  all." 

"  Neither  do  I.  I  am  sorry  that  we  didn't 
catch  the  rascal,"  returned  Dave,  soberly. 

When  they  went  back  into  camp  they  Informed 
Frank  Andrews,  and  also  Mr.  Obray,  of  what  had 
occurred.  These  men  had  already  heard  some 
of  the  particulars  regarding  Dave's  double  and 
the  disappearance  of  the  Basswood  fortune. 

"  Too  bad  you  didn't  get  him,"  said  Frank  An- 
drews. "  But  you  be  careful  how  you  run  over 
that  unfinished  bridge,  unless  you  want  to  have  a 
nasty  fall  and  either  get  killed  or  else  crippled  for 
life." 

Several  days  went  by,  including  Sunday,  and 
nothing  more  was  seen  or  heard  of  Ward  Porton 
although  the  lads  made  a  thorough  search  for 
him.  Dave  sent  letters  home  and  to  Ben  Bass- 
wood,  telling  the  folks  in  Crumville  of  what  had 
happened. 

"  A  little  greaser  to  see  you,  Dave,"  remarked 
one  of  the  civil  engineers  as  Dave  was  coming 
from  an  unusually  difficult  afternoon's  work. 

He  walked  to  where  his  fellow  worker  had 
pointed,  and  there  saw  a  dirty,  unkempt  Mexican 
lad  standing  with  a  letter  in  his  hand.     The  com- 


258     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

munlcatlon  was  addressed  to  Dave,  and,  opening 
it,  he  read  the  following : 

"  I  have  broken  with  Tim  Crapsey  and  have 
the  Basswood  miniatures  here  with  me  safely  in 
Mexico.  If  the  Basswoods  will  pay  me  ten  thou- 
sand dollars  in  cash  they  can  have  the  pictures 
back.  Otherwise  I  am  going  to  destroy  them.  I 
will  give  them  two  weeks  in  which  to  make  good. 

"  As  you  are  so  close  at  hand,  maybe  you  can 
transact  the  business  for  Mr.  Basswood.  When 
you  are  ready  to  open  negotiations,  send  a  letter 
to  the  Bilassa  camp,  across  the  border,  and  I  will 
get  it. 

"  Ward  Porton.'* 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

ACROSS   THE   RIO  GRANDE 

Dave  read  the  note  from  Ward  Porton  with 
Intense  Interest,  and  then  passed  it  over  to  Roger. 

"  What  do  you  know  about  that !  "  exclaimed 
the  senator's  son,  after  he  had  perused  the  com- 
munication. "  Do  you  think  Porton  tells  the 
truth?" 

"  I  don't  know  what  to  think,  Roger.  If  he 
does  tell  the  truth,  then  it  is  quite  likely  that  Tim 
Crapsey  was  trying  to  play  a  double  game  so  far 
as  the  Basswoods  were  concerned." 

"  It's  pretty  clever  on  Porton's  part,"  said 
Roger,  speculatively.  "  He  knows  it  would  be 
very  difficult  for  us  to  get  hold  of  him  while  he  is 
in  Mexico,  with  this  revolution  going  on.  And  at 
the  same  time  he  is  close  enough  to  keep  In  touch 
with  you,  knowing  that  you  can  easily  transact 
this  business  for  the  Basswoods  —  providing,  of 
course,  that  Mr.  Basswood  is  willing." 

Dave  did  not  answer  to  this,  for  he  was  looking 
around  for  the  Mexican  youth  who  had  delivered 
the  note.     But  the  boy  had  slipped  away,  and  a 

259 


26o     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

search  of  the  camp  failed  to  reveal  what  had  be- 
come of  him. 

"  I  guess  he  was  instructed  to  sneak  away  with- 
out being  seen,"  was  our  hero's  comment.  "  Por- 
ton  knew  that  I  wouldn't  be  in  a  position  to  answer 
him  at  once,  and  he  didn't  want  me  to  follow  that 
boy." 

Dave  read  the  note  again,  and  then  went  off  to 
consult  with  Frank  Andrews  and  Mr.  Obray. 

"  It's  too  bad  you  didn't  capture  that  little 
greaser,"  observed  the  head  of  the  civil  engi- 
neers. "  We  might  have  been  able  to  get  some 
information  from  him.  However,  if  he's  gone 
that's  the  end  of  it.  I  think  the  best  thing  you 
can  do.  Porter,  is  to  send  a  night  message  to  this 
Mr.  Basswood,  telling  him  how  the  note  was  re- 
ceived and  repeating  it  word  for  word.  Then  the 
responsibility  for  what  may  follow  will  not  rest  on 
your  shoulders." 

Our  hero  thought  this  good  advice,  and,  aided 
by  his  chum,  he  concocted  what  is  familiarly  known 
as  a  Night  Letter,  to  be  sent  by  telegraph  to  Crum- 
ville. 

On  the  following  day  came  a  surprise  for  our 
hero  in  the  shape  of  a  short  message  from  Ben 
Basswood  which  ran  as  follows : 

"  Yours  regarding  Porton  received.  Crapsey 
makes  another  offer.  Pair  probably  enemies 
now.     Will  write  or  wire  instructions  later." 


ACROSS  THE  RIO  GRANDE  261 

"  This  is  certainly  getting  interesting,"  re- 
marked Dave,  after  having  read  the  message. 
He  turned  it  over  to  Roger.  "  I  guess  Ben  is 
right  —  Crapsey  and  Porton  have  fallen  out  and 
each  is  claiming  to  have  the  miniatures." 

"  Well,  one  or  the  other  must  have  them, 
Dave." 

"  Perhaps  they  divided  them,  Roger.  Thieves 
often  do  that  sort  of  thing,  you  know." 

"  Do  you  suppose  Ward  Porton  is  really  around 
that  Bilassa  camp  in  Mexico?  "  went  on  the  sena- 
tor's son. 

"  Probably  he  is  hanging  out  somewhere  in  that 
vicinity.  I  don't  think  he  has  joined  General 
Bilassa.  He  thinks  too  much  of  his  own  neck  to 
become  a  soldier  in  any  revolution." 

Having  sent  his  message  to  the  Basswoods  and 
received  Ben's  reply,  there  seemed  nothing  further 
for  our  hero  to  do  but  to  wait.  He  and  Roger 
were  very  busy  helping  to  survey  the  route  beyond 
the  new  Catalco  bridge,  and  in  the  fascination  of 
this  occupation  Ward  Porton  was,  for  the  next 
few  days,  almost  forgotten. 

"  If  the  Basswoods  expect  you  to  do  anything 
regarding  that  note  you  got  from  Porton  they  had 
better  get  busy  before  long,"  remarked  Roger  one 
evening.  "  Otherwise  Porton  may  do  as  he 
threatened  —  destroy  the  pictures." 

"  Oh,  I  don't  believe  he'd  do  anything  of  that 


262     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

sort,  Roger,"  answered  Dave.  "  What  would  be 
the  use?  I  think  he  would  prefer  to  hide  them 
somewhere,  thinking  that  some  day  he  would  be 
able  to  make  money  out  of  them." 

Four  days  after  this  came  a  bulky  letter  from 
Ben  Basswood  which  Dave  and  his  chum  read 
eagerly.     It  was  as  follows : 

"  I  write  to  let  you  know  that  Tim  Crapsey  has 
been  caught  at  last.  He  was  traced  to  New  York 
and  then  to  Newark,  N.  J.,  where  the  police  found 
him  in  a  second-rate  hotel.  He  had  been  drink- 
ing, and  confessed  that  he  had  had  a  row  with 
Ward  Porton  and  that  one  night,  when  he  was 
under  the  influence  of  liquor,  Porton  had  de- 
camped, taking  all  but  two  of  the  miniatures  with 
him.  The  two  miniatures  had  been  sold  to  a 
fence  in  New  York  City  for  one  hundred  dollars, 
and  the  police  think  they  can  easily  get  them  back. 
With  the  hundred  dollars  Crapsey  had  evidently 
gone  on  a  spree,  and  it  was  during  this  that  Por- 
ton sneaked  away  with  the  other  miniatures. 
Crapsey  had  an  idea  that  Porton  was  bound  for 
Boston,  where  he  would  take  a  steamer  for  Eu- 
rope.    But  we  know  he  was  mistaken. 

"  The  case  being  as  it  is,  my  father,  as  well  as 
your  folks  and  Mr.  Wadsworth,  thinks  that  Por- 
ton must  have  the  pictures  with  him  in  Mexico. 
That  being  the  case,  your  Uncle  Dunston  says  he 
will  come  down  to  Texas  at  once  to  see  you,  and 
I  am  to  come  with  him.  What  will  be  done  in 
the  matter  I  don't  know,  although  my  father 
would  much  rather  give  up  ten  thousand  dol- 


ACROSS  THE  RIO  GRANDE  263 

lars  than  have  the  miniatures  destroyed.  If  you 
receive  any  further  word  from  Ward  Porton  tell 
him  that  I  am  coming  down  to  negotiate  with 
him.  You  had  better  not  mention  your  uncle's 
name." 

"  Looks  as  if  Porton  told  the  truth  after  all," 
announced  Roger.  *'  Probably  he  watched  his 
opportunity  and  the  first  chance  he  got  he  de- 
camped and  left  Crapsey  to  take  care  of  himself." 

"  Most  likely,  Roger.  I  don't  believe  there  is 
any  honor  among  thieves." 

Ben  had  not  said  how  soon  he  and  Dunston 
Porter  would  arrive.  But  as  they  would  prob- 
ably follow  the  letter  the  two  chums  looked  for 
the  pair  on  almost  every  train.  But  two  days 
passed,  and  neither  put  in  an  appearance. 

"  They  must  have  been  delayed  by  something," 
was  Dave's  comment. 

*'  Maybe  they  are  trying  to  get  that  ten  thou- 
sand dollars  together,"  suggested  Roger. 

"  I  don't  believe  my  Uncle  Dunston  will  offer 
Porton  any  such  money  right  away,"  returned  our 
hero.  "  He'll  see  first  if  he  can't  work  it  so  as 
to  capture  the  rascal." 

On  the  following  morning  Roger  was  sent 
southward  on  an  errand  for  Mr.  Obray.  When 
he  returned  he  was  very  much  excited. 

"  Dave,  I  think  I  saw  Ward  Porton  again  I  " 
he  exclaimed,  as  he  rushed  up  to  our  hero. 


264     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

"Where  was  that?"  questioned  Dave,  quickly. 

"  Down  on  that  road  which  leads  to  the  Rio 
Grande.  There  was  a  fellow  talking  to  a  ranch- 
man I've  met  several  times,  a  Texan  named  Law- 
son.  As  soon  as  he  saw  me  he  took  to  his  heels. 
I  questioned  Lawson  about  him  and  he  said  the 
fellow  had  come  across  the  river  at  a  point  about  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  below  here." 

Dave  listened  to  this  explanation  with  Interest, 
and  immediately  sought  out  Mr.  Obray.  The  up- 
shot of  the  talk  was  that  our  hero  was  given  per- 
mission to  leave  the  camp  for  the  day,  taking 
Roger  with  him. 

The  two  chums  went  off  armed  with  their 
pistols,  not  knowing  what  might  happen.  They 
first  walked  to  where  Roger  had  met  the  ranch- 
man, and  there  the  senator's  son  pointed  out  the 
direction  that  the  young  man  who  had  run  away 
had  taken.  They  followed  this  trail,  and  pres- 
ently reached  the  roadway  which  ran  in  sight  of 
the  river.  There  were  comparatively  few  craft 
on  the  stream,  and  none  of  these  looked  as  if  it 
might  be  occupied  by  the  young  man  they  were 
after.  But  presently  they  reached  a  small  creek 
flowing  into  the  Rio  Grande,  and  on  this  saw  two 
flat-bottomed  rowboats. 

"There  he  Is  now!"  exclaimed  Dave,  sud- 
denly, and  pointed  to  the  first  of  the  rowboats. 


ACROSS  THE  RIO  GRANDE  265 

which  was  being  sent  down  the  creek  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  river. 

The  sole  occupant  of  the  craft  was  the  fellow  at 
the  oars,  and  the  two  chums  readily  made  out  that 
it  was  the  former  moving-picture  actor.  As 
soon  as  he  made  certain  of  Porton's  identity,  Dave 
pulled  Roger  down  in  the  tall  grass  which  bor- 
dered the  creek. 

"  There  is  no  use  in  letting  him  see  us,"  ex- 
plained our  hero. 

"  Do  you  suppose  he  is  bound  for  the  Mexican 
shore?"  questioned  the  senator's  son. 

"  More    than   likely,    Roger."     Dave    looked 
questioningly  at  his  chum.     "  Are  you  game  to  fol- 
low him?  "  he  added. 
,     "  What  do  you  mean?  " 

"  We  might  take  that  other  rowboat  and  go 
after  him.  I  see  it  contains  a  pair  of  oars. 
Either  of  us  ought  to  be  able  to  row  as  well  as 
Porton,  and  if  we  can  catch  him  before  he  lands 
maybe  we'll  be  able  to  drive  him  back  to  the 
United  States  side  of  the  river." 

"  All  right,  I'll  go  you,"  responded  Roger, 
quickly.  "Come  ahead  1"  and  he  started  on  a 
run  for  the  rowboat. 

The  craft  was  tied  fast  to  two  stakes,  but  it  was 
an  easy  matter  for  them  to  loosen  the  ropes. 
This  done,  Dave  took  up  the  oars,  shoved  off, 


266     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

and  started  to  row  with  all  the  strength  at  his  com- 
mand. 

Evidently  Ward  Porton  had  not  expected  to  be 
followed,  for  he  was  rowing  leisurely,  allowing  his 
flat-bottomed  boat  to  drift  with  the  current.  He 
was  much  surprised  when  he  saw  the  other  boat 
come  on  at  a  good  rate  of  speed. 

"  Get  back  there  I  "  he  yelled,  when  he  recog- 
nized the  occupants  of  the  second  craft.  "  Get 
back,  I  tell  you,  or  I'll  shoot  I  " 

"  If  you  do  we'll  do  some  shooting  on  our  own 
account,  Porton  I  "  called  back  Roger,  and  showed 
his  pistol. 

The  sight  of  the  weapon  evidently  frightened 
Porton  greatly.  Yet  he  did  not  cease  rowing,  and 
now  he  headed  directly  for  the  Mexican  shore. 

The  river  at  this  point  was  broad  and  shallow 
and  contained  numerous  sand-bars.  Almost  be- 
fore they  knew  it  the  craft  containing  our  friends 
ran  up  on  one  of  the  bars  and  stuck  there.  In 
the  meantime  Ward  Porton  continued  his  efforts 
to  gain  the  shore. 

"What's  the  matter,  Dave?"  cried  Roger, 
when  he  saw  our  hero  stop  rowing. 

"  We  are  aground,"  was  the  answer.  "  Here, 
Roger,  get  to  the  stern  of  the  boat  with  me,  and 
we'll  see  if  we  can't  shove  her  off  again." 

With  the  two  chums  in  the  stern  of  the  craft. 


ACROSS  THE  RIO  GRANDE  267 

the  bow  came  up  out  of  the  sand-bar,  and  in  a 
few  seconds  more  Dave,  aided  by  the  current  of 
the  stream,  managed  to  get  the  rowboat  clear. 
But  all  this  had  taken  time,  and  now  the  two 
chums  saw  that  Ward  Porton  had  beached  his 
boat  and  was  running  across  the  marshland  be- 
yond. 

"  I'm  afraid  he  is  going  to  get  away,"  remarked 
Roger,  dolefully. 

"Not  muchl"  answered  Dave.  "Anyway, 
I'm  not  going  to  give  up  yet,"  and  he  resumed  his 
rowing. 

"  Here,  let  me  take  a  turn  at  that.  You  must 
be  getting  a  little  tired,"  said  Roger,  and  he  in- 
sisted that  Dave  allow  him  to  do  the  rowing. 

Soon  they  reached  the  Mexican  shore,  at  a 
point  where  there  was  a  wide  stretch  of  marshland 
with  not  a  building  in  sight.  pThey  had  gotten 
several  glimpses  of  Ward  Porton  making  his  way 
through  the  tall  grass.  The  trail  was  an  easy 
one  to  follow. 

"Come  on!  We'll  get  him  yet  I"  muttered 
Dave,  and  started  off  on  the  run  with  Roger  be- 
hind him. 

They  had  just  reached  an  ill-kept  highway 
when  they  heard  shouting  in  the  distance.  They 
saw  Ward  Porton  running  wildly  in  the  direc- 
tion of  a  set  of  low  buildings,  evidently  belonging 
to  some  sort  of  ranch.     As  the  former  moving- 


268  DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

picture  actor  disappeared,  a  band  of  Mexican 
cavalry  swept  into  view. 

"Quick,  Roger!  Down  in  the  grass!"  cried 
Dave.  "  We  don't  want  those  soldiers  to  see 
us!  They  may  be  government  troops,  but  they 
look  more  like  guerrillas  —  like  the  rascals  who 
raided  the  Tolman  ranch!  " 

"  Right  you  are,"  answered  the  senator's  son. 
And  then  both  lay  low  in  the  tall  grass  while  the 
Mexican  guerrillas,  for  they  were  nothing  else, 
swept  past  them. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

A  STRANGE  DISCOVERY 

As  nearly  as  Dave  and  Roger  could  calculate, 
there  were  about  two  hundred  of  the  Mexican 
guerrillas  —  dirty  and  fierce-looking  individuals, 
led  by  an  officer  wearing  an  enormous  hat  and  a 
long,  drooping  mustache. 

The  entire  crowd  looked  disreputable  in  the 
extreme,  and  the  youths  could  not  help  but  shud- 
der as  they  gazed  at  the  cavalcade. 

"  My  gracious,  Dave  1  do  you  call  those  rev- 
olutionists ?  "  remarked  Roger,  after  the  last  of 
the  horsemen  had  disappeared  down  the  road- 
way. 

"  They  may  be  revolutionists,  Roger.  But  to 
my  mind  they  look  more  like  bandits  than  any- 
thing else.  Under  the  pretense  of  aiding  Mexico 
they  probably  steal  whenever  they  get  the  chance." 

"  I'd  hate  awfully  to  fall  into  their  clutches. 
I  think  they'd  rob  a  fellow  of  every  dollar  he 
had." 

"  Well,  never  mind  those  Mexicans,  Roger," 
pursued  Dave.  "  Come  on,  let  us  see  if  we  can't 
locate  Ward  Porton." 

269 


270     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

"  He  went  over  into  one  of  yonder  buildings." 

"  I  know  it,  and  I've  got  an  idea,"  answered 
our  hero.  *'  Let  us  see  if  we  can't  sneak  across 
the  roadway  without  being  seen  and  then  come 
up  to  those  buildings  through  the  thick  grass  and 
behind  that  chaparral.  If  we  expose  ourselves 
Porton  will,  of  course,  keep  out  of  our  sight  or 
run  away." 

With  extreme  caution  the  two  chums  worked 
their  way  through  the  tall  grass  to  the  edge  of  the 
roadway.  Then,  watching  their  chance  when  no- 
body seemed  to  be  looking,  they  dashed  to  the 
other  side  and  into  the  grass  again.  Then  they 
began  to  work  their  way  cautiously  in  the  di- 
rection of  the  group  of  buildings  into  which 
the  former  moving-picture  actor  had  disap- 
peared. 

The  buildings  belonged  to  a  Mexican  ranch; 
but  the  place  had  evidently  been  the  scene  of  a 
fight  at  some  time  in  the  past,  for  one  of  the  build- 
ings was  completely  wrecked  and  several  of  the 
others  much  battered.  There  were  no  horses, 
cattle,  pigs,  or  chickens  anywhere  in  sight;  and  the 
youths  came  to  the  conclusion  that  the  ranch  had 
been  abandoned  by  its  owner. 

"  Probably  some  of  those  guerrillas  came  along 
and  cleaned  him  out,"  observed  Dave,  "  and  after 
that  he  didn't  think  it  would  be  worth  while  to 
stay  so  long  as  the  country  was  in  a  state  of  war." 


A  STRANGE  DISCOVERY  271 

In  a  few  minutes  more  Davei  and  his  chum 
gained  the  first  of  the  buildings.  Here  they 
paused  to  listen  and  to  look  around. 

"  You  want  to  be  on  your  guard,  Roger,"  whis- 
pered our  hero.  "  Porton  may  be  watching  us 
and  he  may  have  some  of  his  friends  here.  For 
all  we  know  this  may  be  his  hang-out." 

"  I'll  be  on  guard,  don't  fear,"  answered  the 
senator's  son,  and  brought  forth  his  pistol. 

"  Don't  use  that  gun  unless  you  have  to," 
warned  Dave,  who  did  not  favor  any  shooting, 
even  in  an  extreme  case  like  this. 

"  I'll  not  give  a  rascal  like  Porton  the  chance  to 
shoot  me  first,"  retorted  Roger.  "  That  fellow 
ought  to  be  in  jail,  and  you  know  It." 

To  this  our  hero  did  not  answer.  He  felt  In 
his  pocket  to  make  sure  that  his  own  weapon  was 
ready  for  use. 

Not  a  sound  from  the  other  buildings  had 
reached  them,  nor  did  any  one  appear  to  be  In 
sight. 

"  Looks  to  me  as  If  we  were  In  sole  possession, 
now  that  those  guerrillas  have  gone,"  announced 
Roger.  "  Wow  I  I  hope  they  don't  come  back, 
—  at  least  not  until  we  are  safe  on  our  side  of  the 
Rio  Grande,"  he  added  grimly. 

*'  Come  on,  we'll  take  a  look  through  the  build- 
ings," answered  Dave.  "  Don't  make  any  noise 
if  you  can  possibly  help  it.'* 


273     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

Leaving  the  building  which  they  had  first 
entered  —  an  abandoned  stable  —  they  moved 
through  a  broken-down  cow-shed  to  a  long,  low 
structure  which  had  evidently  been  used  by  the 
helpers  on  the  ranch.  This  building  was  also  de- 
serted, and  all  that  remained  in  it  was  some  filthy 
bedding  alive  with  vermin. 

"  Come  on,  let  us  get  out  of  here,"  remarked 
Roger,  as  he  looked  with  disfavor  at  the  squalor 
presented.  "  How  can  human  beings  live  like 
this,  Dave?" 

"  I  don't  know,  Roger.  This  place  ought  to  be 
burned  down  —  it's  the  only  way  to  get  it  clean," 
Dave  added,  shaking  his  head  in  disgust  over  the 
sight. 

Less  than  fifty  feet  away  was  the  corner  of  the 
main  building  of  the  ranch.  Peering  out  cau- 
tiously, to  make  sure  that  no  one  was  watching 
them,  the  two  chums  hurried  across  the  open  space 
and  crouched  down  beneath  a  wide-open  window. 
Then  Dave,  pistol  in  hand,  looked  in  through  the 
opening. 

The  room  beyond  was  deserted,  and  a  glance 
around  showed  him  that  it  contained  little  besides 
some  heavy  pieces  of  furniture  which  the  looters 
had  evidently  been  unable  to  remove.  On  a  table 
rested  several  empty  liquor  bottles,  and  also  a 
number  of  cigar  and  cigarette  stubs.  On  the  floor 
were  scattered  newspapers  and  some  playing  cards. 


A  STRANGE  DISCOVERY  273 

"  The  fellows  who  were  here  evidently  got  out 
in  a  hurry,"  remarked  Dave. 

"  Are  you  going  to  go  in?  "  questioned  Roger. 

"  I  guess  so.     What  do  you  think  about  it?  " 

"  I'm  with  you,  Dave.  Now  we  have  gone  so 
far,  we  might  as  well  finish  the  job." 

It  was  an  easy  matter  for  the  two  chums  to  climb 
through  the  low  window.  Once  in  the  room,  they 
advanced  toward  a  doorway  leading  to  an  apart- 
ment that  opened  on  the  patio  of  the  ranch  home 

—  an  open  courtyard  which  had  once  boasted  of  a 
well-kept  flower  garden,  but  which  was  now  neg- 
lected and  overrun  with  weeds. 

As  Dave  gazed  out  across  the  patio  he  saw  a 
movement  in  a  room  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
ranch  home.  The  face  of  a  man  had  appeared 
for  a  few  seconds.     Behind  him  was  some  one  else 

—  who,  however,  Dave  could  not  make  out. 

"  My  gracious,  Roger  I  "  gasped  our  hero  in  a 
low  voice.     "  Did  you  see  that  fellow?  " 

"  I  saw  some  one." 

"  It  was  William  Jarvey  I  " 

"  Jarvey  I     Are  you  sure  ?  " 

"  I  am  certain  of  it.  Now  what  do  you  think 
of  that  I" 

"  I'm  sure  I  don't  know  what  to  think,  Dave. 
Maybe  he  Is  making  his  headquarters  here,  the 
same  as  Ward  Porton." 

"  I  am  going  to  try  to  find  out.     Come  on." 


274     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

Our  hero  made  a  quick  mental  calculation  as  to 
the  ground  plan  of  the  ranch  home,  and  then  he 
and  Roger  began  to  work  their  way  from  one 
room  to  another,  and  then  through  a  long,  nar- 
row hallway,  until  they  reached  the  other  side  of 
the  building.  Here  they  paused  at  the  end  of  the 
hallway  to  listen. 

From  a  room  close  at  hand  came  a  murmur  of 
voices.  By  straining  his  ears  Dave  made  out  the 
tones  of  William  Jarvey.  The  former  book- 
keeper for  the  Mentor  Construction  Company  was 
evidently  talking  to  another  man,  but  what  was 
being  said  was  not  distinguishable. 

"  It's  Jarvey  all  right  enough,"  whispered 
Dave. 

"  Yes.  But  that  isn't  Ward  Porton  with  him," 
returned  Roger. 

"  I  know  it.     It's  some  man." 

Both  continued  to  listen,  and  presently  heard 
William  Jarvey  give  a  sarcastic  laugh. 

"  You've  got  another  guess  coming,  Packard 
Brown,  if  you  think  you  are  going  to  get  that  much 
out  of  the  deal  I"  he  cried.  "Remember,  you 
haven't  done  a  thing  to  help  us." 

"  That's  all  right.  Bill  Jarvey,"  retorted  the 
man  called  Packard  Brown.  *'  When  we  left  the 
U.  S.  A.  and  came  over  here  It  was  understood 
that  we  were  to  share  and  share  alike  In  every- 
thing." 


A  STRANGE  DISCOVERY  275 

"  Yes,  but  I  didn't  think  this  new  thing  was  com- 
ing up,"  growled  Jarvey.  "  We  were  to  share 
equal  on  what  we  happened  to  get  out  of  the  greas- 
ers.    This  is  another  thing  entirely." 

"  I  admit  that.  Just  the  same,  I  think  I'm  en- 
titled to  my  share." 

"  Well,  you  help  us  all  you  can  and  you'll  get  a 
nice  little  wad  out  of  it.  Brown." 

What  more  was  said  on  this  subject  did  not 
reach  the  ears  of  Dave  and  Roger,  for  just  then 
the  latter  pulled  our  hero  by  the  sleeve. 

"Somebody's  coming  I "  he  whispered. 
"  Maybe  it's  Porton." 

Dave  did  not  answer.  At  the  end  of  the  semi- 
dark  hallway  there  was  a  closet  which  in  years 
gone  by  had  been  used  for  the  storage  of  guns  and 
clothing.  Into  this  closet  the  two  youths  went, 
closing  the  door  carefully  after  them. 

"  It's  Porton  all  right  enough,"  whispered 
Dave,  who  a  moment  later  was  crouching  low 
and  looking  through  a  large  keyhole  devoid  of  a 
key.  "  There  he  goes  into  the  room  where  the 
two  men  are." 

"  Then  those  two  men  must  be  in  with  him,"  re- 
turned the  senator's  son.  "  Say,  Dave,  this  is 
certainly  getting  interesting!  " 

"  It's  going  to  make  our  job  a  pretty  hard  one," 
answered  our  hero.  "  If  Ward  Porton  was  alone 
we  might  be  able  to  capture  him.     But  I  don't  see 


276     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

how  we  are  going  to  do  it  with  Jarvey  and  that 
man  named  Brown  present." 

"  Maybe  if  we  offer  Jarvey  and  Brown  a  large 
reward  they  will  help  us  make  Porton  a  prisoner," 
suggested  Roger.  "  More  than  likely  Jarvey  is 
on  his  uppers  and  will  do  anything  to  get  a  little 
cash." 

The  two  youths  came  out  into  the  semi-dark 
hallway  once  more,  and  on  tiptoes  crept  toward 
the  door  of  the  room  occupied  by  Ward  Porton 
and  the  two  men. 

"  I  went  all  around  the  buildings,  and  looked  up 
and  down  the  roadway,  but  I  couldn't  see  anything 
of  them,"  the  former  moving-picture  actor  was 
saying.  "  I  guess  they  got  cold  feet  when  they 
saw  those  soldiers.  Say,  those  greasers  certainly 
were  a  fierce-looking  bunch  I  " 

"  I  don't  believe  they  were  any  of  General 
Bilassa's  army,"  returned  William  Jarvey. 
"  They  were  probably  some  detachment  out  for 
whatever  they  could  lay  their  hands  on,"  and  he 
chuckled  coarsely.  Evidently  he  considered  that 
such  guerrilla  warfare  under  certain  circumstances 
was  perfectly  justifiable. 

Following. this  there  was  some  talk  which  neither 
of  those  outside  the  door  could  catch.  Then  came 
a  rather  loud  exclamation  from  Ward  Porton 
which  startled  our  friends  more  than  anything  else 
that  could  have  been  said. 


A  STRANGE  DISCOVERY  277 

"  Well,  now,  look  here,  Dad  I  "  cried  the  for- 
mer moving-picture  actor.  "  You  let  me  run  this 
affair.  I  started  it,  and  I  know  I  can  put  it 
through  successfully." 

"That's  right,  Jarveyl"  broke  in  Packard 
Brown.  "  Let  your  son  go  ahead  and  work  this 
deal  out  to  suit  himself.  He  seems  to  have  made 
a  success  of  it  so  far  —  getting  the  best  of  that 
fellow  Crapsey,"  and  the  speaker  chuckled. 

Dave  and  Roger  looked  at  each  other  know- 
ingly. Here  indeed  was  a  revelation.  Evidently 
Ward  Porton  was  the  son  of  the  man  they  knew 
as  William  Jarvey. 

"  My  gracious !  I  remember  now !  "  burst  out 
our  hero  in  a  low  tone.  "  When  we  went  to  Bur- 
lington to  see  that  old  man,  Obadiah  Jones,  about 
Ward  don't  you  remember  that  he  told  us  that 
Ward  was  the  son  of  a  good-for-nothing  lieutenant 
in  the  army  named  Jarvey  Porton?  That  man 
Pankhurst  who  was  captured  declared  that  Jarvey 
was  living  under  an  assumed  name  and  had  been 
an  officer  in  the  army.  It  must  be  true,  Roger. 
This  fellow  is  really  Jarvey  Porton,  and  he  is 
Ward  Porton's  father  I  " 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

THE   CAPTURE 

What  Dave  said  concerning  the  man  he  had 
known  as  William  Jarvey  was  true.  He  was  in 
reality  Ward  Porton's  father,  his  full  name  be- 
ing William  Jarvey  Porton.  Years  before,  how- 
ever, on  entering  the  United  States  Army,  he  had 
dropped  the  name  William  and  been  known  only 
as  Jarvey  Porton.  Later,  on  being  dismissed 
from  the  army  for  irregularities  in  his  accounts, 
he  had  assumed  the  name  of  William  Jarvey. 

A  lively  discussion  lasting  several  minutes,  and 
which  our  hero  and  Roger  failed  to  catch,  fol- 
lowed the  discovery  of  Jarvey  Porton's  identity. 
Then  the  listeners  heard  the  former  lieutenant 
say: 

"  Brown,  I  think  you  had  better  go  outside  and 
watch  to  make  sure  that  no  one  is  coming  to  this 
place." 

"  All  right,  just  as  you  say,"  was  the  other 
man's  answer.  Evidently  he  understood  that  this 
was  a  hint  that  Jarvey  Porton  wished  to  speak  to 
his  son  In  private. 

As  Packard  Brown  placed  his  hand  on  the  door 
278 


THE  CAPTURE  379 

leading  to  the  semi-dark  hallway  Dave  and  Roger 
lost  no  time  in  tiptoeing  their  way  back  to  the 
closet  in  which  they  had  before  hidden.  From 
this  place  they  saw  Brown  leave  the  room  and  walk 
outside.  Then  they  returned  to  their  position  at 
the  door. 

"  Are  you  sure  the  cases  are  in  a  safe  place, 
Ward?"  they  heard  Jarvey  Porton  ask  anx- 
iously. 

**  Sure  of  it,  Dad.  I  hid  them  with  great 
care." 

"  Are  you  sure  nobody  saw  you  do  it?  " 

"  Not  a  soul." 

"  Where  was  the  place  ?  " 

*'  On  a  high  knoll  not  far  from  where  we  have 
been  tying  up  the  boats,"  answered  Ward  Por- 
ton. "  There  are  a  number  of  big  rocks  there, 
and  I  found  a  fine  cache  between  them." 

"  It's  rather  dangerous  to  leave  them  around 
that  way,"  grumbled  the  man.  "  Maybe  you 
would  have  done  better  if  you  had  brought  them 
over  here." 

"  I  thought  there  would  be  no  use  in  carting 
them  back  and  forth,"  returned  the  son.  "  I 
wanted  to  have  them  handy,  in  case  the  Bass- 
woods  met  my  demands." 

"  Well,  we'll  see  what  comes  of  it,  Ward.  I 
hope  we  do  get  that  money.  I  certainly  need 
some,"  and  Jarvey  Porton  heaved  something  of 


28o     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

a  sigh.  Evidently  father  and  son  were  equally  un- 
scrupulous and  took  no  pains  to  disguise  that  fact 
from  each  other. 

More  talk  followed,  Ward  telling  something 
of  the  way  in  which  the  miniatures  had  been  ob- 
tained and  his  father  relating  the  particulars  of 
his  troubles  with  the  Mentor  Construction  Com- 
pany. In  the  midst  of  the  latter  recital  Dave 
and  Roger  heard  Packard  Brown  returning  on 
the  run. 

"  Hi  there !  "  called  out  the  man  in  evident 
alarm.  And  then  as  the  two  chums  hid  in  the 
closet  once  more,  he  burst  into  the  room  occupied 
by  the  Portons.  "  Those  greasers  are  coming 
back  and  they  are  heading  for  this  place  I  "  he  ex- 
plained. 

"  In  that  case  we  had  better  get  out,"  answered 
Jarvey  Porton,  quickly. 

"  But  you  and  Brown  helped  them  in  that  raid, 
Dad,"  interposed  the  son.  "  Why  should  you 
get  out?" 

"  We  had  a  big  quarrel  after  that  raid.  Ward," 
explained  the  parent.  "  And  now  those  greasers 
have  no  use  for  us.  We'll  have  to  get  out,  and 
in  a  hurry,  too." 

Shouting  could  now  be  heard  at  a  distance,  and 
this  was  followed  by  a  volley  of  shots  which  sur- 
prised all  the  hsteners. 

"  I'll  tell  you  what  it  must  be,"  said  Jarvey 


THE  CAPTURE  a8i 

Porton,  as  he  led  the  way  from  the  deserted 
ranch.  "  A  detachment  from  the  regular  army 
must  be  after  General  Bilassa's  crowd.  Maybe 
they'll  have  a  fight  right  here  along  the  border  I  " 

"  I  don't  want  to  get  mixed  up  in  any  fight  I  " 
exclaimed  Ward  Porton.  "  Maybe  we  had  bet- 
ter get  back  to  the  United  States  side  of  the  river." 

"That's  the  talk!"  put  In  Packard  Brown. 
"Come  on!" 

All  left  the  ranch  and  headed  directly  for  the 
river,  at  the  point  where  Ward  had  left  his  flat- 
bottomed  rowboat.  Dave  and  Roger  followed 
them,  but  did  their  best  to  keep  out  of  sight  in 
the  tall  grass. 

"  Oh,  Dave,  I  hope  they  do  go  over  to  the 
other  shore !  "  exclaimed  the  senator's  son.  "  It 
will  be  so  much  easier  to  capture  them." 

"  Exactly,  Roger.  And  don't  you  remember 
what  Ward  told  his  father  —  that  he  had  left  the 
miniature  cases  hidden  on  the  other  side?  He 
said  they  were  on  a  high  knoll  not  far  from  where 
the  boats  had  been  tied  up.  We  ought  to  be  able 
to  find  that  cache." 

By  the  time  the  two  chums  gained  the  shore  of 
the  Rio  Grande  those  ahead  of  them  had  already 
entered  Ward  Porton's  boat.  Ward  and  Brown 
each  had  an  oar  and  rowed  as  rapidly  as  possible 
to  the  other  side  of  the  stream.  Jarvey  Porton 
sat  in  the  stern  of  the  craft,  and  looked  back  from 


282     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

time  to  time,  trying  to  catch  sight  of  the  guerrillas 
and  the  other  Mexicans,  who  were  still  shouting 
and  firing  at  a  distance. 

"  Hadn't  you  better  hold  back  a  bit,  Dave,  so 
they  don't  see  you?  *  questioned  Roger,  as  he  and 
our  hero  managed  to  gain  the  rowboat  they  had 
used,  which,  fortunately,  had  been  placed  some 
distance  away  from  the  other  craft. 

"  Good  advice,  Roger,  if  it  wasn't  for  one  thing. 
I  don't  want  to  give  them  a  chance  to  get  out  of 
our  sight.  Let  us  tie  our  handkerchiefs  over  the 
lower  parts  of  our  faces.  Then  they  won't  be 
able  to  recognize  us  —  at  least  unless  we  get 
pretty  close." 

With  Dave's  suggestion  carried  out,  the  chums 
leaped  into  the  rowboat,  and,  this  done,  each  took 
an  oar.  They  pulled  hard,  and  as  a  consequence 
reached  the  mouth  of  the  little  creek  on  the  United 
States  side  in  time  to  see  those  ahead  just  disem- 
barking. 

"Where  do  you  suppose  they  are  going?" 
queried  the  senator's  son. 

"  That  remains  to  be  found  out,"  answered 
Dave.  "  Duck  now,  so  they  won't  see  us."  And 
with  a  quick  motion  of  the  oar  he  possessed  he 
sent  the  flat-bottomed  boat  in  among  some  tall 
grass  which  bordered  the  creek  at  this  point. 

Ward  Porton  and  those  with  him  had  tied  up 
their  boat  and  were  walking  to  the  higher  ground 


THE  CAPTURE  283 

away  from  the  creek.  Jarvey  Porton  paused  to 
look  back  along  the  creek  and  the  bosom  of  the 
river  beyond. 

"  I  don't  see  anything  on  the  river  just  now," 
he  announced. 

"  Look  I  Some  one  is  coming  from  the  other 
way!  "  exclaimed  his  son,  suddenly. 

"  Is  that  Lawson,  the  ranchman?  "  questioned 
Packard  Brown,  anxiously. 

"  No,  I  don't  think  it  is,"  answered  Ward  Por- 
ton. "  They  seem  to  be  strangers,"  he  added,  a 
minute  later. 

Two  men  and  a  well-grown  boy  were  approach- 
ing. They  came  on  slowly,  as  if  looking  for  some 
one. 

"  I'd  like  to  know  what  those  fellows  want 
around  here,"  came  from  Jarvey  Porton,  as  he 
gave  up  looking  along  the  river  to  inspect  the 
newcomers. 

From  their  position  in  the  tall  grass  bordering 
the  creek,  Dave  and  Roger  looked  from  the  Por- 
ton party  to  those  who  were  approaching.  Then, 
of  a  sudden,  our  hero  uttered  a  low  exclamation 
of  surprise. 

"  Look  who's  here,  Roger !  Ben  Basswood 
and  my  Uncle  Dunston!  And  Mr.  Andrews  is 
with  them !  " 

"  Oh,  Dave !  are  you  sure?  " 

"  Of  course  I  am  1     I  would  know  my  Uncle 


284   DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

Dunston  as  far  as  I  could  see  him.  And  you 
ought  to  know  Ben." 

"  My  gracious,  Dave,  you're  right !  This  sure 
is  luck!" 

"  I  know  what  I'm  going  to  do,"  decided  our 
hero,  quickly.  "  I'm  going  to  send  both  of  the 
boats  adrift.  Then,  no  matter  what  happens, 
those  rascals  won't  have  any  easy  time  of  it  get- 
ting back  to  Mexico." 

In  feverish  haste  Dave  sent  the  flat-bottomed 
boat  out  into  the  creek  once  more.  Roger  as- 
sisted him,  and  a  few  strokes  of  the  oars  brought 
the  craft  alongside  of  that  which  had  been  used 
by  the  Porton  party.  Then  the  chums  leaped 
ashore,  threw  all  the  oars  into  the  water,  and 
set  both  of  the  rowboats  adrift. 

"Hi  there!  What  are  you  fellows  up  to?" 
came  suddenly  from  Packard  Brown,  who  had 
happened  to  look  behind  him.  "  See,  Jarvey, 
those  two  fellows  have  cast  our  boat  adrift!  " 

"Who  are  they?"  demanded  Jarvey  Por- 
ton, and  looked  in  some  bewilderment  at  the  two 
figures  approaching,  each  with  a  handkerchief 
tied  over  the  lower  portion  of  the  face. 

"Uncle  Dunston!  Ben!"  cried  Dave  at  the 
top  of  his  lungs,  and  at  the  same  time  whipped 
the  handkerchief  from  his  face.  "  Here  are 
Ward  Porton  and  his  father !  We  must  capture 
them!" 


THE  CAPTURE  285 

"  Hurry  up !  Don't  let  them  get  away!  "  put 
in  Roger,  as  he,  too,  uncovered  his  face. 

As  he  uttered  the  words  Roger  drew  his  pistol, 
an  action  which  was  quickly  followed  by  our 
hero,  for  both  understood  that  the  criminals  be- 
fore them  might  prove  desperate. 

Of  course  Dunston  Porton  and  Ben  Basswood, 
as  well  as  Frank  Andrews,  were  greatly  aston- 
ished by  the  calls  from  Dave  and  Roger.  But 
our  hero's  uncle,  while  out  hunting  in  various 
parts  of  the  world,  had  been  in  many  a  tight  cor- 
ner, and  thus  learned  the  value  of  acting  quickly. 
He  had  with  him  his  pistol,  and  almost  instantly 
he  drew  this  weapon  and  came  forward  on  the 
run,  with  Ben  and  Frank  Andrews  at  his  heels. 

"Stop!  Stop!  Don't  shoot!"  yelled  Ward 
Porton  in  alarm,  as  he  found  himself  and  his  com- 
panions surrounded  by  five  others,  three  with 
drawn  pistols. 

"  We  won't  shoot,  Porton,  if  you'll  surrender," 
answered  Dave. 

"Oh,  Dave!  has  he  got  those  miniatures?" 
burst  out  Ben. 

"  He  sure  has,  Ben !  " 

"Good!" 

"  I  haven't  got  any  miniatures,"  growled  the 
former  moving-picture  actor. 

His  father  and  Brown  looked  decidedly  uncom- 
fortable.    Once  the  former  army  officer  made  a 


286     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

motion  as  if  to  draw  his  own  weapon,  but  Dunston 
Porter  detected  the  movement  and  instantly  or- 
dered all  of  the  party  to  throw  up  their  hands. 

"  Oh,  Dave !  are  you  sure  he  has  those  pic- 
tures? "  queried  Ben,  and  his  face  showed  his  anx- 
iety. 

"  I  think  so,  Ben.  However,  we'll  find  out  as 
soon  as  we  have  made  them  prisoners." 

"  That's  the  talk!  "  put  in  Roger.  He  turned 
to  Dave's  uncle.  "  Can't  you  bind  them  or  some- 
thing, so  that  they  can't  get  away?  " 

"  We'll  disarm  them,"  announced  Frank  An- 
drews. "  Jarvey  and  Brown  are  wanted  for  that 
raid  on  old  man  Tolman's  ranch  and  for  using 
that  bomb  on  the  bridge.  We  can  prove  through 
Pankhurst  that  they  were  with  the  party." 

"  That  man  is  Ward  Porton's  father,"  ex- 
plained Dave  to  his  uncle  and  Ben,  while  the  evil- 
doers were  being  searched  and  disarmed  one  after 
another. 

"  Ward  Porton's  father,  eh?  Well,  they  seem 
to  be  two  of  a  kind,"  answered  Ben. 

With  their  weapons  taken  from  them,  the 
prisoners  could  do  nothing  but  submit.  They 
were  questioned,  but  all  refused  to  tell  anything 
about  what  they  had  done  or  intended  to  do. 

"  You'll  never  get  anything  out  of  me,  and 
you'll  never  get  those  miniatures  back,"  growled 


THE  CAPTURE  287 

Ward  Porton,  as  he  gazed  sourly  at  Ben  and  at 
Dave. 

"  We'll  see  about  that,  Porton,"  answered  our 
hero.  And  then  he  requested  his  uncle  and  Frank 
Andrews  to  keep  an  eye  on  the  prisoners  while 
he,  Roger  and  Ben  set  out  for  the  knoll  some 
distance  away  from  the  creek. 

"  Ward  Porton  said  he  had  hidden  some  cases 
in  a  cache  between  some  rocks  on  that  knoll,"  ex- 
plained our  hero.  "  By  cases  I  think  he  meant 
those  containing  the  miniatures." 

"  Oh,  I  hope  he  did !  "  returned  Ben,  wist- 
fully. "  To  get  those  miniatures  back  means  so 
much  to  my  folks  I  " 


CHAPTER  XXX 

THE  FORTUNE  RECOVERED CONCLUSION 

As  Dave,  Roger,  and  Ben  tramped  through 
the  tall  grass  to  where  was  located  a  knoll  of  con- 
siderable size,  the  son  of  the  Crumville  real  estate 
dealer  related  how  he  and  Dunston  Porter  had 
arrived  in  the  construction  camp  and  how  they  had 
gotten  Frank  Andrews  to  show  them  in  what  di- 
rection our  hero  and  the  senator's  son  had  gone. 

"We  knew  you  were  after  Porton,  and  we 
hoped  to  catch  sight  of  that  rascal,"  went  on 
Ben,  "  but  we  didn't  dream  that  we  were  going  to 
capture  Ward  and  also  those  two  men  who  are 
wanted  for  that  raid  on  the  Tolman  ranch.  And 
to  think  that  one  of  the  men  is  Ward's  father! 
He  certainly  must  be  a  bad  egg!  '* 

"  He  is,  Ben,"  answered  Dave.  "  And  Ward 
is  a  chip  of  the  old  block." 

The  chums  were  soon  ascending  the  knoll,  con- 
taining many  rocks  between  which  were  dense 
clumps  of  chaparral.  Here  they  had  to  advance 
with  care  so  as  not  to  turn  an  ankle  or  get  their 
clothing  torn. 

Dave  had  hoped  that  the  search  for  the  miss- 
288 


THE  FORTUNE  RECOVERED  289 

ing  cases  would  be  an  easy  one,  but  in  that  he  was 
disappointed.  The  three  chums  walked  all 
around  the  knoll  several  times  without  getting  any- 
thing in  the  way  of  a  clue  as  to  where  Porton's 
cache  was  located. 

"  It's  a  shame !  "  burst  out  Roger  at  length. 
"If  we  could  only — "  He  looked  quickly  at 
Dave.     "  What  do  you  see  ?  " 

Our  hero  did  not  reply.  Instead  he  hurried 
forward  several  feet,  and  then  gave  a  low  cry. 

"  Porton  has  been  here  I  "  he  exclaimed,  and 
held  up  a  half-burned  cigarette. 

It  was  not  much  of  a  clue,  but  it  was  some- 
thing; and  working  on  this  all  three  of  the  youths 
searched  the  vicinity  diligently.  They  soon  came 
upon  a  somewhat  flat  rock,  and  aU  seized  hold  of 
this  to  cast  it  to  one  side. 

"  Hurrah !  "  came  simultaneously  from  Dave 
and  Roger,  as  they  saw  a  large  opening  under 
where  the  stone  had  been  placed. 

Ben  said  nothing,  but  plunged  his  hand  into  the 
opening,  to  draw  from  it  an  instant  later  one  of 
the  cases  that  had  contained  the  Enos  miniatures. 
The  other  cases  quickly  followed. 

**  Are  the  miniatures  in  them  ?  "  questioned  the 
senator's  son. 

"  That's  what  I'm  going  to  find  out,"  answered 
Ben. 

The  cases  were  fastened  by  several  catches, 


290     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

but  these  were  quickly  unfastened  and  the  lids 
thrown  open. 

"  Good!  Good!  "  exclaimed  Ben,  and  his  face 
showed  his  intense  satisfaction. 

There  before  the  eyes  of  the  youths  were  nearly 
all  of  the  wonderful  collection  of  miniatures  which 
Mr.  Basswood  had  inherited.  Only  two  were 
missing  —  those  which  the  thieves  had  sold  in 
New  York. 

"  Oh,  this  is  simply  grand  I  "  cried  Roger,  en- 
thusiastically. 

"  That's  what  it  is,"  added  Dave,  and  then 
went  on  quickly:  "We'll  have  to  get  these  to 
some  safe  place  and  then  make  sure  that  they'll 
never  be  stolen  again." 

"  Don't  you  worry  about  that,  Dave.  I  won't 
let  them  out  of  my  sight  until  they  are  safe  and 
sound,"  declared  the  real  estate  dealer's  son. 

Locking  up  the  cases  once  more,  the  three 
youths  carried  them  off  the  knoll  and  through  the 
chaparral  to  where  they  had  left  Dunston  Porter 
and  the  others.  Of  course,  Dave's  uncle  was 
much  gratified  to  learn  that  the  miniatures  had 
been  recovered,  and  Frank  Andrews  was  also 
pleased.  Jarvcy  Porton  looked  downcast,  and 
his  son  showed  his  deep  disgust. 

"  I  was  a  fool  not  to  take  them  over  into 
Mexico,"  remarked  the  former  moving-picture 
actor. 


THE  FORTUNE  RECOVERED  291 

"  Well,  I  told  you  that  was  what  you  should 
have  done,"  retorted  his  father.  And  then  he 
added  in  a  low  tone:  "We  might  have  pur- 
chased our  freedom  with  those  miniatures." 

While  Dunston  Porter  and  Frank  Andrews 
looked  after  the  prisoners  to  see  that  they  did  not 
get  away,  Dave  and  his  chums  took  care  of  the 
cases  containing  the  precious  miniatures,  and  thus 
the  whole  party  made  its  way  to  the  engineering 
and  construction  camp.  There  the  Portons  and 
Packard  Brown  were  handcuffed,  and  word  was 
sent  to  the  authorities  to  take  charge  of  them. 

"  And  now  I've  got  to  send  word  home  about 
this  good  news !  "  cried  Ben,  and  lost  no  time  in 
getting  off  a  long  telegram  to  his  folks,  and  ask- 
ing them  to  inform  Dave's  father  and  the  Wads- 
worths  by  telephone  of  the  success  of  the  trip  to 
Texas. 

"  That  message  ought  to  do  your  father  more 
good  than  a  dose  of  medicine,"  remarked  Dave. 

"  It  will,  Dave,"  answered  Ben,  his  face  beam- 
ing. "  I  know  father  will  recover  now  that  he  has 
nothing  more  to  worry  about."  Ben  was  right. 
The  recovery  of  the  fortune  In  miniatures  did 
much  toward  restoring  the  real  estate  dealer  to  his 
former  good  health. 

In  the  camp  it  was  remarked  by  a  number  of 
men  how  much  Ward  Porton  resembled  Dave. 
But  no  one  at  that  time  dreamed  that  this  re* 


292     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

semblance  was  shortly  to  come  to  an  end.  Yet 
such  was  a  fact.  When  being  transferred  from 
Texas  to  the  State  in  which  his  crimes  had  been 
committed,  Ward  Porton  attempted  to  make  his 
escape  by  leaping  from  a  rapidly  moving  railroad 
train.  As  a  consequence  he  broke  not  only  both 
of  his  legs,  but  also  his  nose,  and  cut  his  right 
cheek  most  frightfully.  As  a  result,  when  he  was 
retaken  he  had  to  remain  in  the  hospital  for  a  long 
time,  and  when  he  came  out  his  face  was  much  dis- 
figured and  he  walked  with  a  decided  limp. 

"  It's  too  bad,  but  he  brought  it  on  himself," 
was  Dave's  comment,  when  he  heard  of  this. 

"  It's  a  good  thing  in  one  respect,"  was  Roger's 
reply.  "  With  his  nose  broken  and  his  cheek 
disfigured  and  with  such  a  limp,  no  one  will  ever 
take  Ward  Porton  for  you  again." 

It  may  be  mentioned  here  that  when  the  proper 
time  came  Ward  Porton  and  Tim  Crapsey  were 
brought  to  trial  and  each  was  given  a  long  term 
of  imprisonment.  Ward's  father  and  the  other 
men  who  had  participated  in  the  attack  on  the 
Tolman  ranch  and  on  the  bridge  and  had  been 
captured  were  also  severely  punished. 

The  store-keepers  and  the  hotel-keeper  who 
suffered  through  Ward  Porton's  misrepresenta- 
tions could  get  nothing  from  the  young  culprit, 
but  they  had  the  satisfaction  of  knowing  that  he 


THE  FORTUNE  RECOVERED  293 

had  now  been  put  where  it  would  be  impossible 
for  him  to  dupe  others. 

Ben  Basswood  remained  at  the  camp  but  a  few 
days,  and  then  he  and  Dunston  Porter  started 
northward.  The  miniatures  had  been  boxed  up 
and  shipped  by  express,  insured  for  their  full 
value.  It  may  be  stated  here  that  they  ar- 
rived safely  at  their  destination.  Those  which 
had  been  disposed  of  in  New  York  City  were  re- 
covered, and  in  the  end  Mr.  Basswood  disposed 
of  the  entire  collection  to  the  museums  in  four  of 
our  large  cities  for  the  sum  of  seventy-five  thou- 
sand dollars.  With  part  of  this  money  he  went 
into  several  heavy  real  estate  deals,  taking  Ben 
in  with  him,  and  father  and  son  did  very  well. 

"  I  think  the  getting  back  of  those  miniatures 
was  entirely  your  work,  Dave,"  declared  Roger, 
one  day. 

"  I  don't  know  about  that,"  answered  our  hero, 
modestly.     "  I  think  you  had  a  hand  in  it." 

"  I  had  a  hand  in  catching  Ward  Porton,  but 
you  were  the  one  to  spot  that  cache  and  locate  the 
Basswood  fortune." 

And  now  let  me  add  a  few  words  more  and 
then  bring  to  an  end  this  story  of  "  Dave  Porter 
and  His  Double." 

A  number  of  years  have  passed  since  Dave 


294     DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  DOUBLE 

graduated  from  Oak  Hall  and  took  up  the  pro- 
fession of  a  civil  engineer.  Both  he  and  Roger 
learned  rapidly,  and  at  the  end  of  the  required 
time  both  passed  their  final  examinations  with 
flying  colors.  They  remained  with  the  Mentor 
Construction  Company,  journeying  all  over  the 
United  States,  and  also  going  down  into  Mexico 
and  into  Central  and  South  Americas.  They,  of 
course,  met  with  numerous  adventures,  some  of 
which  I  may  relate  to  you  at  a  future  time.  They 
returned  to  Crumville  a  number  of  times,  and 
during  those  visits  Dave  was  more  attentive  to 
Jessie  than  ever,  while  Roger  spent  nearly  all  his 
time  at  Laura's  side. 

"  They'll  make  a  fine  pair  of  married  couples," 
declared  Dave's  Uncle  Dunston. 

"  Well,  I  hope  they'll  be  happy,"  answered 
Dave's  father.     "  They  certainly  deserve  to  be." 

"You  are  right.  But  I  guess  they  had  better 
wait  awhile  yet." 

"Of  course.  They  are  young,  and  Dave  and 
Roger  want  to  get  a  good  foothold  in  their 
profession." 

"Those  boys  have  had  some  strenuous  doings," 
continued  the  uncle.  "  I  wonder  what  will  happen 
next.?" 

"  Something,  that's  certain,"  answered  Dave's 
father;  and  he  was  right,  as  will  be  related  in  my 
next  volume,  to  be  entitled,  "  Dave  Porter's  Great 


THE  FORTUNE  RECOVERED         295 

Search ;  or,  The  Perils  of  a  Young  Civil  Engineer." 
In  that  book  we  will  meet  all  our  young  friends 
again,  and  learn  the  particulars  of  Jessie  Wads- 
worth's  strange  disappearance. 

"  Great  days,  those  —  on  the  Rio  Grande, 
Dave !  "  remarked  Roger,  one  day,  when  the  two 
had  been  discussing  what  had  taken  place  in  the 
past. 

"  Yes,  Roger,  they  certainly  were  great  days," 
answered  our  hero.  "  No  matter  what  exciting 
times  may  come  in  the  future,  I'll  never  forget 
how  I  helped  to  capture  my  double." 

"  And  how  we  managed  to  become  full-fledged 
civil  engineers,  Dave." 

"  Yes,  that  was  just  as  good  as  getting  back  the 
Basswopd  miniatures,  if  not  better,"  answered 
Dave. 

Here,  at  the  height  of  his  success  in  his  chosen 
profession,  we  will  wish  Dave  Porter  well,  and 
say  good-bye. 


THE   END 


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